One Kiss
by Vietta
Summary: Reno wanted to protect Tseng and create a happily ever after they could share, but the world never accepts happiness. M for violence, language, yaoi, and generally dark themes.
1. Chapter 1

Tseng lay on his back and stared at the bright expanse of sky above him, hoping that the other boys would forget that he was there. He knew it was a pathetic wish, but he hoped that if he stayed still long enough they would tire of kicking him in the ribs and punching him in the gut. All of their blows landed between the belt and the neck and landed no where that would be noticed by anyone but him, his ragged breathing the only visible sign that he was in pain. He gave an inaudible sigh of relief as the boys walked away, upset at his lack of response. He hadn't let out so much as a pained grunt the entire time they were pummeling him and he was proud of himself for it. If he pretended hard enough he could convince himself that his stomach didn't hurt and he could sit up. He winced and gurgled slightly as he pushed himself into a sitting position, pained hisses brushing out of his lips. He was used to the pain, had grown to tolerate the abuse, and had learned to stay quiet. Silence was probably the only thing that kept him alive, if he said what he wanted to say to his attackers he would most likely be bleeding to death in an alley instead of purpling with unseen bruises in front of his school.

Once Tseng finally managed to stand he noticed for the first time that the crowd that usually watched his beatings and then dispersed had not scattered completely yet. He tucked his head down and slung his bag over his bruised shoulders and rushed as fast as he could into the school, afraid to acknowledge the bright blue eyes studying him. He had learned early on in his life that making eye contact was forbidden for him. Everyone else could have meaningful conversations, stare at others, exchange secret glances, everyone except for him. The last time he had made direct eye contact with someone he had been hurt for it, it was part of the reason why he was now gasping slightly as he rushed down the hall to his first class. He was still being punished for his bad habit of absentminded staring, a habit he had broken years ago. It didn't surprise him, he was a publicly hated target who was easily beaten to a bloody pulp without any consequences. He was so used to the beatings and bruises that he didn't realize how unhealthy it was to have a tan line made of swelling black lumps.

He sat quietly in his classes. Always in the back, always quiet, always attentive to the teacher and nothing else for fear of accidentally incurring the wrath of new tormentors. He absorbed every word his instructors spoke as if he were a sponge and their words water. His intelligence was part of the reason he was ostracized and hunted down for use as a human punching bag. He wasn't sure what his attackers were trying to beat into him and he was somewhat convinced that they might be trying to beat something out of him instead. He just wished he knew what it was so that he could get rid of it himself and be left alone.

He groaned in exasperation as he listened to his final lecture of the day, the first noise he had made since the pained gasps earlier that morning. His instructor was forcing a group project upon them all and partners were to be picked by the students. Tseng quickly counted through his classmates, hoping that there wouldn't be enough partners and that he could be the odd wheel allowed to do the project on his own, but the numbers were even and chances of him being a last minute partner were high. He sat quietly at his empty table, waiting for the unlucky soul that didn't have enough friends to approach him and resentfully become his partner. It wasn't long before he heard a pronounced cough to his left and he had to look up out of courtesy, hoping that he hadn't been forced into the company of one of his demons.

Brown eyes met blue-green as a red-haired beauty stared down at him. "Need a partner yo?" Tseng nodded and quickly dropped his eyes to avoid contact. The boy sat down and stuck out his hand. "Name's Reno, you're Tseng right?" Again Tseng nodded mechanically, ignoring the proffered hand. The red-head chuckled and stuck his hand into his backpack, pulling out pencils and paper. "Listen yo, it's not like I'm gonna bite ya alright? Just relax a little bit." Tseng gave a very quiet disbelieving snort in response. He wasn't one to drop his guard, caution itself had been used as a weapon against him. There was no way that he was going to even consider relaxing around this complete stranger. Reno chuckled. "So you're the strong silent type eh? I think I can make that work." Reno received a raised eyebrow in response and he laughed at the puzzled expression crossing Tseng's features. "So do you wanna go to my place after school to work on this?"

Tseng chewed his lower lip in thought, mulling the idea over. He knew what the consequences would be if he didn't go home right after school, but he knew what would inevitably happen if he went home at all. Not all of his bruises were gifts from his fellow classmates. "Alright."

"So you can talk!" Reno sniggered in mock surprise. "Here I was thinkin' ya might be a mute."

Tseng snorted and gathered his books together as the bell rang, regretting the fact that he had missed the final half of the lecture because of his chattering table partner. He stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder with a wince as it bumped against his bruised back. He then waited patiently as Reno did the same and followed as Reno led him out of the school and across the campus lawn, nodding and waving to people on all sides. Tseng didn't fail to notice the strange looks the boisterous red-head was getting and he knew they were because he was within talking distance of the boy. Most of the people watching Reno wave at them with confused looks didn't fail to notice Tseng's presence. A good number of them seemed shocked by the instance as it was unheard of for Tseng to willingly get within arms length of anyone.

Tseng followed silently as Reno chattered about his plans for their project and fell on his face as he was tackled from behind. Tseng immediately rolled to his feet and started to run but was caught by the scruff of the neck and thrown back to the ground. He closed his eyes and threw his hands in front of his face in an attempt to block the inevitable blows.

He gave a gasp of surprise when none came and opened shocked eyes to see his tormentor whimpering in the hands of Reno. The red-head had twisted the bully's arm behind his back and wrapped a thin arm around a beefy neck. Reno was panting as he struggled to keep his hold on the thrashing demon that had happily beat Tseng just that morning. Tseng sat on the ground in a state of shock and awe as the lanky red-head managed to keep his grip on the far stronger boy in his hands.

Reno growled menacingly. "What the hell's the big idea ya fat prick?"

The fat prick gasped for air and managed to choke out a response. "He was followin' ya."

Reno rolled his eyes and squeezed tighter on the boys windpipe, smirking as he received a squeak for his efforts. "You leave him the fuck alone ya understand? He's with me and I'm not gonna stand by and watch fucks like you wail on him." He gave another hard squeeze as he spoke, the fuck turning purple under the carefully applied pressure. "Ya don't touch him again unless ya want my foot up your ass, got it?" The bully nodded as best as he could and Reno threw the large boy from him, disgusted. "Get the fuck outta my sight." The bully didn't need telling twice and ran from the scene as fast as his legs would carry him.

Reno brushed off the front of his shirt with an aggravated growl. "My ma is gonna kill me for lettin' him rip this."

Tseng's lower jaw was hanging somewhere around his feet as he stared from his position on the ground. It took him awhile to re-hinge it enough to regain speaking capabilities. "You stopped him."

Reno snorted and rolled his eyes, extending a hand down to Tseng. "What the hell was I supposed to do? Watch him wail on you again? I would have stopped him and those other guys this morning but I didn't make it to school on time so I only saw the tail end of the fight."

Tseng reached a stunned hand up to grasp the one dangling in front of his face and allowed himself to be hauled to his feet. He ignored the aggravated throbs that racked his swollen body all hours of the day and night and continued to stare at Reno in disbelief. "Why?"

"Woke up late." Reno shrugged and resumed his walk off of school grounds like nothing had happened.

To Tseng it felt like his entire world had been flipped on its axis. "Why didn't you just let him hurt me? You owe me nothing."

Reno stopped in his tracks and turned to face Tseng, hands on his hips. "You think everyone who does something good in this world does it because they owe someone? That's not how I work and if no one's ever done anything for you before then everyone else needs to get their ass kicked. Listen kid, I'm new around here but there's not an ice cubes chance in hell that I'm gonna sit back and watch you get the shit kicked outta ya, alright?"

Tseng blinked and stared at Reno like he had come from another planet. "They'll go after you too now."

Reno laughed aloud and continued walking. "I can take care of myself Tseng, didn't you see how purple he got?"

Tseng couldn't help but laugh, something he hadn't done in as long as he could remember. He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth with a small. "Sorry."

Reno gave a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes. "Jeez somebody did a number on you didn't they? Ya don't need ta apologize for laughing, who the hell doesn't laugh?"

Tseng looked down and tugged on the corner of his tattered shirt. "I don't remember the last time I laughed."

"For real? Shit yo I laugh all the time! Don't worry, I'll have you laughing your ass off in no time once you get that stick outta your ass and relax a little bit." Reno stuffed his hands in his pockets with a smug smile.

Tseng weakly smiled back, unsure of how to respond. He cleared his throat and gestured to the small tear in the front of Reno's shirt. "I can sew that up for you if you want."

"No shit? I didn't know anybody but moms knew how to sew anymore." Reno laughed and examined the rip with his fingers. "Sure, you can fix it if ya want to. How did ya learn ta sew anyways?"

Tseng shrugged. "I had to learn or else I wouldn't have any clothes."

Reno frowned and looked Tseng over from head to toe, noticing the miniscule paths of thin stitches that made designs on the boys shirt. He knew those wandering and seemingly random lines of sewn together fabric were testament to how often the boy got beat up and felt injustice stab at his skull. "How often do they wail on you Tseng?" Tseng didn't respond and Reno bit off a growl. "Don't you worry buddy I'll protect ya alright? Hell, I'll teach ya how ta protect yerself." He turned into a driveway and skipped up to the door of a small brick house, fishing keys out of his pocket as he went. He unlocked the door and ushered Tseng inside before closing it behind them with a loud yell. "I'm home ma! Brought a friend!"

Reno's mother poked her head around the corner and gave them a cheery smile. "Hi Reno. You boys want some snacks?"

Reno eagerly kicked his shoes off and dumped his bag onto the floor, gesturing for Tseng to do the same. "Heck yes we do!"

Reno's mother suddenly frowned. "What happened to your shirt Reno?"

Hands were quickly pressed over the small rip that suddenly seemed a hundred feet long as Reno gave a hurried answer. "Nothin!"

A loud sigh erupted from the throat of Reno's mother as she waved a spatula in Reno's direction. "Reno Sinclair did you get in another fight?"

Reno gave a whine and jerked his thumb in Tseng's direction. "Ma the jerk was trying to pummel Tseng! I wasn't gonna just stand there and watch!"

Mrs. Sinclair looked over and noticed Tseng standing behind Reno, trying desperately to blend into the wall and escape her motherly gaze. She smiled at him and he shrunk back a little more. "Nice to meet you Tseng." She turned back to Reno and continued her lecture. "Can't you go one day without gettin' yourself into a fight? It was your first day of school and that was a brand new shirt!"

"Tseng can fix it ma! He knows how ta sew!" Reno looked to Tseng for support and Tseng quickly nodded to affirm what Reno had said. Reno beamed back at his mother. "See ma? It can be fixed! It's not even a big one!"

Reno's mother gave him a piercing stare before beckoning them into the kitchen with a laugh. "Reno you could talk your way out of a locked box."

Reno grinned and dragged Tseng behind him as he ran towards the kitchen. "Why am I in a box ma?"

"Because I said so." Mrs. Sinclair rolled her eyes and handed each of them a small stack of the warm, gooey cookies she had just pulled from the oven. She smiled as Reno immediately stuffed a cookie in his mouth and gave an appreciative hum. "Don't get crumbs all over your room all right? I don't want to cart the vacuum up there and I know you won't do it unless I beat the snot out of ya so keep the cookies in your mouths all right boys?"

Reno gave what sounded like a very muffled 'yes ma'am' before giving his mother a very crumb-filed peck on the cheek and dragging Tseng up the stairs towards his bedroom. He plopped himself on the plush blue carpet that covered his floor and crammed another cookie into his mouth, chewing and swallowing before speaking. "My ma makes the best cookies in the world! Try one!"

Tseng took one of the cookies from his pile and nibbled the edge of it before giving a happy groan and taking a real bite. He chewed and examined the cookie with a large smile. "I haven't had cookies since I was little." He was careful to keep any and all crumbs off of the floor as instructed as he examined the room, identifying the exits out of habit. The walls were a pale shade of blue that matched the carpet and bedspread. There were several posters plastered to the walls above unpacked boxes that were filled almost to bursting.

Reno's jaw dropped in disbelief after he finished swallowing his mouthful of cookie. "Really? Wow yo that stinks! My ma makes 'em all the time, its a wonder I'm not fat as hell. Doesn't yer ma ever make cookeis?" Tseng's smile faded and he looked at the carpet with interest. Reno slapped himself in the forehead and swore. "Aww dammit I said somethin' insensitive and stupid didn't I?"

Tseng gave him a weak smile and toyed with the edges of his quickly cooling cookie pile, careful to keep crumbs from touching the floor. "It's alright. She just doesn't talk to me much."

"Fie lat?" Reno garbled through a mouthful of cookie but quickly swallowed as Tseng raised an eyebrow at him and tried again. "Why not?"

Tseng shrugged. "I'd rather not talk about it if that's alright." Tseng hadn't spoken this much in months. Usually he only said one or two words and rarely did he ever use complete sentences. He didn't converse with his parents any more than necessary and Reno was the first person at his school that had ever willingly said more than three words to him without punching him. He felt that his world being turned on its side might be a good thing until he thought about what awaited him at home. He shuddered involuntarily and decided to enjoy the first friend he had ever had while he could. For all he knew Reno could be playing a sick joke on him and his guard stayed high even though his tongue loosened and his shoulders relaxed.

Reno gave an understanding nod and popped the last of his cookies into his mouth with a happy moan. "Cookies are wonderful." Tseng nodded in agreement as he chewed on his own cookie. Reno jumped to his feet and ran from the room. "Stay right here!" Tseng raised an eyebrow, every fiber of his body suddenly alert for an attack as he heard footsteps rocket down the stairs. He sat on the floor, tense and nervous about what could possibly be coming back up the stairs with Reno's stomping feet.

Reno threw their bags into the room and shut the door behind him. He tossed a large bag of chips at Tseng's feet and sat across from him. "I figured we needed more snack stuff so we could do our homework. Brain food, ya know?"

Tseng highly doubted that any licensed doctor would consider potato chips and pop brain food, but he didn't argue as Reno set a plastic cups on the floor and began pouring the black fizz into them.

Reno finished pouring their drinks and ripped open the bag of chips with a happy smile. "How long has it been since you had potato chips Tsengy-poo?"

Tseng raised an eyebrow as Reno popped a chip into his mouth. "Tsengy-poo?"

Reno smirked and held a chip in front of Tseng's face. "It's called a nickname, you'll get used to it."

Tseng decided not to question the nickname for now, he'd never had one but he didn't mind having one. It made him feel special to have his name garbled and abused by Reno's tongue. "Why are you shoving a chip in my face?"

Reno rolled his eyes and pressed the chip against Tseng's lips. "Because I want you to eat it stupid!"

Tseng opened his mouth to speak and Reno shoved the chip inside, gagging him slightly. He chewed before speaking as Reno laughed and pulled out his schoolwork. "I can feed myself you know."

"It's not as fun when you feed you." Reno sniggered and tapped a pencil against his nose. "Wanna explain to me what the heck the teach was talking about with all the numbers today?"

Tseng began teaching Reno all he knew about the assignment, his voice soon becoming weary from disuse. He continued talking even though the parts of him that worried about his self-preservation screamed for him to run out the door and home before Reno could hurt him. He didn't know why, but he believed Reno when he said he would protect him. He didn't like the dishonorable and helpless feeling of having to have someone protect him, but it was better than the dishonorable and helpless feeling of not being able to protect himself.

He ticked away the minutes and hours in his head as night drew closer and began to shudder at what his parents were sure to do to him for his lateness. He hoped that by the time he got home they would be drunk and high enough not to notice his presence, but he knew it was a silly wish for him to make. No matter how many drugs they forced into their bodies his parents always had the time and brain-function to spare in lashing out at him, the outlet for all their frustrations.

When Reno realized what time it was he yelped and rushed to pack their stuff away. He hadn't had so much fun in a long while. He and his mother had had to move constantly throughout the year to try and escape his alcoholic father and he hoped with all his heart that they had finally found someplace far enough away from Junon to be safe. He didn't know the full story behind his new friend's frightened disposition, but he was determined to find out. He was a protector at heart and there was no way he would ever let anyone hurt Tseng while he was around. He liked the handsome, silent boy that had agreed to be labeled his friend and would do whatever it took to keep him safe from harm.

Reno dragged Tseng downstairs and found his mother making dinner in the kitchen. The kitchen was the nook of the house that she had always loved best and when she wasn't at work, she was cooking. He wondered why he hadn't gained even an inkling of weight with all the food she gave him. "Hey ma can Tseng stay for dinner?"

Mrs. Sinclair smiled sweetly at them both as she set food on the table. "I set a place for him didn't I?"

Reno grinned happily and pulled Tseng by the hand towards the table. He had a smug sense of satisfaction about him when Tseng didn't shake his hand off despite all the dragging he was doing. He scootched his chair towards Tseng's as his mom sat down across from them. She gave him a strange look that he shrugged off as he started eating. She cleared her throat and gently kicked him under the table. "Reno! What do we do before we eat?"

Reno sighed and set his fork down. He folded his hands in front of his face and closed his eyes, peeking at Tseng out of one of them. Tseng was raising an eyebrow at him and Reno elbowed him to let him know he should do the same. Tseng folded his hands in front of him with a confused sort of obedience and carefully watched Reno and his mother as if he wanted to know what other peculiar things he needed to do. Reno cleared his throat and began his prayer. "Dear Gaia, thank you for this food which ma' has given us and please protect us and keep us safe from harm. Amen." He unfolded his hands and began eating.

Tseng stared at his folded hands. He had never prayed before and barely even knew what Gaia was. He noticed Reno's mother looking at him and he quickly dropped his hands and began to eat. She gave him a warm motherly smile. "Tseng, do you believe in Gaia?"

Tseng looked up at her, scared what her reaction would be when she heard his answer. "I don't really know what Gaia is."

Reno kicked his mother under the table, hoping that she wouldn't try and pry into his quiet friend's religious beliefs. She kicked him back and continued to talk to Tseng. "Have you ever been to church?" Tseng shook his head and she frowned. "Are your parents religious at all?"

Tseng's head waved back and forth and Reno swallowed. "Ma he doesn't hafta believe in Gaia! Didn't ya tell me it was a parent's choice whether or not their child learned about her?"

Mrs. Sinclair sighed and conceded the point. "Sorry Tseng dear, I was just curious."

Tseng spoke before he truly thought about his words. "Who's Gaia? Will you teach me about her?" He knew his parents would never speak to him about religion and he was curious about what he seemed to be missing out on. Almost everyone else seemed to know about Gaia and talked about her often and he figured the fact that he didn't know her was one of the reasons he was singled out for punishment.

Reno's mother beamed and spent the rest of the meal telling Tseng all she knew about Gaia, Reno interjecting his thoughts as she went. Tseng listened with rapt attention to their casual banter of subjects they seemed to disagree on and asked questions to make them continue their friendly arguments. He was fascinated by Reno's relationship with his mother, he had never seen a person so at ease around their family because his broken family kept him from the knowing about domestic tranquility.

Even when they piled into the car so that Reno's mother could take him home he noticed the differences between his family and theirs. Reno was able to choose where he sat, opting to sit in the front so he could twist around and lean over the back of the chair while he talked. Reno's mother drove in a straight line and didn't swear at people who drove past, something Tseng wasn't used to. It was hard for him to grasp the concept that two people could be so normal and kind around him.

When the car finally stopped in front of Tseng's outwardly pleasant green house dread flitted back into his mind. He profusely thanked Reno's mother for her hospitality and brushed off Reno's offers to walk him to the door. He still didn't understand Reno's kind attentions but he knew that there was no way Reno would enter his house while his parents were in it if he had anything to say about it. Home was where his demons slept and someone as loved by Gaia as Reno seemed to be didn't need to be exposed to such horror.

He watched their car drive off and a heavy cloak of hopelessness and fear draped itself over his shoulders once more. He turned and marched to the front door of his home with steady steps, praying to Gaia for the first time in his life that his parents wouldn't be home.

It would seem he wasn't as loved by Gaia as Reno thought because his parents were in the living room waiting for him with the angry scowls he had learned to fear.

Tseng took their verbal and physical abuse with all the outward emotion of a blank wall. When the pain began to dull and his parents stepped over his huddled body and out the door he dragged himself towards his room. He knew he had to stop the blood that was seeping in thin rivers out of his leg before he passed out from the pain in his now empty stomach and he managed to crawl around the pile of sick that had been once been a delicious meal. He shut the door to his small room and began peeling off his tattered and bloody clothes. After he had dressed the bleeding wound in his thigh and placed a band-aid over the dripping scratch under his eye he crawled into his bed, willing sleep to ease the hot throbs of pain that pulsed along with his heart as he prayed that Gaia would forgive him for whatever horrible thing he had done to deserve his fate.

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Author's Note: If you think this story isn't a complete waste of time and that I should continue please let me know. ^^ I want/need input on this story and appreciate any and all criticism, but flames will be used to roast yummy marshmallows for delicious s'mores! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Reno wiped a drop of saliva from his chin as he stood back to back with Tseng, watching the demons that made their lives hell circle them like wolves. Reno kept one eye on the wolves and one eye on Tseng as he counted down the minutes until the bell rang and they would have their freedom. He felt Tseng slam into his back as he took another hit and felt a strange mixture of pain and pride as Tseng stayed on his feet despite the fact that his breaths were coming in shorter and shorter gasps. Reno had done his best over the past few weeks to teach Tseng to fight for himself and the dark haired boy was getting better at punching back, something Reno delighted in as much as he loathed the idea of Tseng having to protect himself. Reno envisioned himself as Tseng's protector and with every blow Tseng took and gave he felt the severe pangs of failure.

Reno slammed his fist into the face of a demon that strayed to close, inciting another heated skirmish. There was always a careful pattern to the fights, a pattern Tseng followed but Reno lashed out against. Reno punched, kicked, and bit without any warning or provocation while Tseng waited for the wolves to come to him. Reno figured that Tseng's method of fighting was probably better if he was interested at all in self-preservation, but Reno didn't give a damn about himself. He only worried about Tseng and had taken home more black eyes and bruises than he had ever acquired before. The upside to his pain was that Tseng felt less, or at least should've felt less. Reno watched his quiet friend carefully, noting every spot where a blow landed and checking it later for bruising with or without Tseng's permission. It was always hard to tell which of the purple spots were new, but Reno could see healing beginning to take place now that the damage was flowing onto him instead. He knew that not all of the bruises were from their fights and had to wonder just how Tseng was getting hurt. He kept him at his house later and later in the evenings, giving him less time to be alone and unprotected, but still Tseng had new bruises.

It was the cuts that scared Reno the most. The thin scabbed over ridges that flowed over Tseng's back, stomach, and arms and probably other places that the boy wouldn't let him see. He always clicked his tongue as he carefully cleaned the cuts like his mom had taught him to, gentle swabs with disinfectant before a row of bandages dressed the nude wounds. The next day Tseng's band-aids were always gone and Reno soon stopped putting them on, realizing that it was futile and for some strange reason made the small slices worse. Reno didn't know what happened to Tseng during the few sleeping hours they were apart and no matter how much he pried, Tseng wouldn't tell him. He didn't give up though, constantly needling Tseng while the dark haired boy sewed the rips in his shirts closed. Reno was amazed by Tseng's quick fingers as they drew needle and thread through fabric with expertise, showing a surprising and somewhat frightening amount of practice. Reno always felt over the thin rips in his shirt with awe when he failed to differentiate the new thread from the old. Tseng offered to teach Reno how to sew, but on top of the general tutoring Reno needed to keep his grades afloat he saw no use in trying to learn. His excuse was that Tseng knew how and his skill would suffice. Reno exchanged the knowledge he gained from Tseng with as much protection and care as he could offer, taking more than his fair share of damage during their before, during, and after school skirmishes and soothing the angry wounds that appeared every day. The bruises and cuts didn't stop blossoming across Tseng's features, but they did start to heal. Reno vowed that he would someday make them stop completely. He would find the source that he hadn't been able to name and give it hell for the constant torment Tseng shouldered in silence.

The bell rang and Reno grabbed Tseng's shaking hand in his own, throwing one last punch before dashing into the building with his friend in tow. He walked Tseng to the boy's next class even though it made him late for his own, leaving him at the door with a smile and a wink before dashing off to his own as fast as his lanky legs could carry him. He worried about Tseng constantly when they weren't together, knowing that the quiet brooder was at least somewhat safe while in the classroom. Reno only felt truly calm when Tseng was within arms reach and able to be protected, even when he failed to perform his duty.

Tseng watched Reno dash off with a sad smile, hoping that the retreating back of his boisterous friend wouldn't disappear completely during the time he was away. He was always, always afraid that Reno would someday stop being there to greet him. That his smiling face would one day turn away from him in disgust. Tseng didn't know why Reno stayed, why Reno took the abuse that was meant for him. There was no noticeable motive for Reno to be around him when everyone else shunned him. He tried so very hard to tell Reno that he just wasn't worth all the extra effort, all the care Reno took with him. His own selfishness kept him from pushing Reno away though, something that he was ashamed of. Every blow that hit Reno made him feel sick to his stomach, the nausea stemming from his own helplessness as Reno seemed to want nothing more than to take his beatings. He tried to do everything he could for the red-head, knowing that he took more than his fair share from his overly-gracious friend.

It was still a strange notion for him, having a friend. It was an experience he would trade for nothing, no matter how much he hated himself every time Reno swept cool hands over throbbing cuts and bruises. He watched with wonder as his black bruises turned purple, noting the concerned look etched onto Reno's face as cuts he wouldn't explain seemed to appear overnight. No matter how much Tseng wanted to tell Reno everything, he kept his home life to himself and refused to say a word about it when Reno prodded him for information. He didn't want to see the disgust that would inevitably swim through Reno's eyes once he put the pieces together and understood what was happening after he made it home.

Tseng spent as much time at Reno's house as he could, working diligently on their project and trying to give Reno a reason to stay friends with him after they finished it. They were supposed to launch the beautiful rocket in class soon and Tseng put his heart and soul into the cylindrical object, praying that he could work hard enough to prove his worth. Every evening after their visits ended he felt his soul stay with Reno, driving away in the blue sedan piloted by Reno's mother as his heavy feet plodded towards his inconspicuous home and waiting parents. Some nights he was lucky and they didn't wait for him to come home, leaving before he could show his face. Those nights he lay awake fearing that if he closed his eyes they would pounce on him, darting from the shadows to destroy all the careful work Reno had put into healing his battered body. When they had seen the band-aids Reno had gently laid across his back they had ripped them away and re-etched the lines, deepening the harsh wounds. No matter how much more they punished him for trying to fix the hurts, he couldn't tell Reno to stop. He wanted Reno to help him, even though he felt like scum unworthy of the tender care bestowed on him.

Tseng waited impatiently for the class to end, ticking down the minutes until he would see Reno again. Once the bell rang he jumped from his chair and bolted out the door, scanning the halls for a shock of red. When the bright red splotch shone through the mass of comparatively dull colors he dashed towards it eagerly. Once he reached Reno his arm was grabbed and he was dragged down the hall with a smile, bumping into people on all sides as Reno led him to his locker. Tseng didn't use a locker and wasn't even sure he had one, if he did he had never seen it. He liked Reno's locker though. It was papered with posters and notes and crammed to the brim with papers and pencils, so full of odds and ends that it would barely shut. The locker was more personalized than Reno's room and it practically screamed his name, mostly because the hinges squeaked when the door was wrenched open. Every time the locker door swung forward a mountain of papers and pencils rained down on them and Tseng rejoiced in his friend's unashamed messiness.

Reno picked up the pile of fallen items and stuffed them back into his locker with a smile as Tseng laughed beside him. He never threw anything away and it was rather unsurprising that he had managed to accumulate so much needless junk. From the paper jungle he pulled out a large metal lunchbox, slamming the door shut quickly before the avalanche of clutter buried them alive. Reno took Tseng's hand again and dragged him outside, happily prattling away as Tseng let him lead. If he had tried to drag anyone else the way he dragged Tseng he probably would have had his head knocked off of his shoulders, but Tseng didn't seem to mind. It put a happy bubble inside his chest as he pulled Tseng towards the only corner of the campus where they could sit and eat in peace. He sat Tseng down next to him and opened his lunchbox, setting the double lunch he had prepared for them out on the grass. He jumped as Tseng ran a finger over his back, confused by the contact with bare flesh. He sat still as he felt the gentle touch move down, still touching his skin. "Did my shirt rip again?" He couldn't feel any pain from the scratch, but the soft finger pulling across it was almost too much sensation for him to bear. It sent a chill up his spine and he tried to contain the shiver that ran through him.

Tseng nodded as he traced the slightly bloody cut on Reno's back, slightly fascinated by the appearance of the mark. "You're bleeding." Tseng was confused. None of the demons used knives, blood was too conspicuous to their purpose. He had never seen them drawn blood and how Reno had obtained the thin, leaking scratch on his back was a mystery to him.

Reno pulled Tseng's hand away from his back, examining the bloody tip of his finger with a scowl. He pulled a napkin from the lunchbox and wiped the blood away as Tseng simply stared at him, transfixed by the small red stain forming on the back of his shirt. He sighed as he tried to preempt the question he knew was coming. "I'm fine Tseng, don't worry about it alright? We both know I've had worse."

"How did they cut you? They don't carry knives." Tseng grabbed the napkin and began blotting the blood off of Reno's back before it could stain the fabric further, hoping that he could repay the kindness given to him in some way. Reno shivered under his touch and he stopped, thinking he had hurt the red-head. When Reno continued to tremble he frowned and continued his gentle swaps across the cut. Whenever he shuddered under Reno's gentle hands from the sting of the cut Reno always continued, making sure the cut was clean before he stopped. Tseng wanted to make sure he cleaned the scratch as properly as his limited resources allowed. "Do you have a band-aid?"

Reno dug through his pocket and pulled out the small canister of band-aids he kept with him. He always carried them now, especially since the demons had begun singling him out when Tseng wasn't around. Reno knew he was far more fun for the insatiably violent packs of their peers to attack because he fought back. A target that responded to the arrows landing in its middle was far more entertaining than the one that lay cold and dormant under the onslaught. He tried to cover up all the extra rips and tears he received for defending Tseng's honor when the boy wasn't around to hear the slights, but he knew Tseng wouldn't stay oblivious to the fact forever. Someday all the extra sins the demons engraved into his flesh would be impossible to hide, but until then Reno would take the punishment. So far they had only cut him a few times, mostly when they were angry to have someone standing between them and their punching bag. Reno stood his ground though, knowing that eventually his insolence would be punished with far worse than a few thin cuts.

It was hard for Reno to stay still as Tseng pressed the napkin painlessly against his cut. His entire body wanted to arch into the touch, a reaction he always had to keep under control while he was around Tseng. Whenever Tseng came within arms reach of him Reno felt like a magnet, inexorably drawn to his battered angel. He didn't understand the near insatiable need to touch that came over him while he was around Tseng, but he didn't question it or try to fight against the desire. Self-restraint was not one of his strong points, but he felt he was doing well compared to how he wanted to act. He didn't let himself get carried away with his fragile friend, knowing that Tseng was too shy and confused to truly understand what Reno wanted. Reno wasn't ashamed of the want he had for Tseng, knowing since the second he had first seen him that he had no choice but to need him.

Reno cleared his throat as he pressed the band-aid into Tseng's waiting hand and lied smoothly. "I don't know how they cut me. I didn't see any knives and it didn't hurt so I didn't notice. I was more worried about the fists going for my front if ya know what I mean." Reno gave a shiver as Tseng peeled back the torn fabric of his shirt and gently made sure the bloody wound was clean and dry, his hands careful and tender as he acted like Reno was fragile and might break.

One thing Reno truly liked about Tseng was the fact that he always cared more about Reno's needs than his own, doing his best to make sure Reno's grades stayed high and his clothes stayed whole. Reno's mother absolutely loved the influence Tseng had over him and she used it to her advantage, telling Tseng to give Reno instructions he otherwise wouldn't have heeded. When Tseng told him to do something, Reno did it without putting up a large fuss. His room had never been cleaner.

Tseng's lips pursed, the annoyance and anger he felt for the bastards who dared leave a mark on the red-head showing clearly on his normally expressionless face. Reno and his mother were the only people on the entire planet who ever saw anything but the stoic mask he wore to protect his tender insides from the daggers that were constantly thrust at him and he didn't have words to describe the bliss their company put him in, brightening his days to a luminescence he had never felt before. Still, no matter how much he loved them, he was always afraid that they wouldn't want him anymore someday. It had happened with his real family already and he didn't want to risk it happening again. He took no chances with his taped together heart after the dreadful transition that had battered and nearly destroyed both his mind and body. He was still on the ever shortening road to his breaking point, the limit to the pain and suffering his young body and mind could take being stretched and cracked on a daily basis. Reno was softening the harsh blows to his mind with every kind smile, bringing him back from the edge of the soulless abyss he had been teetering on.

"Aren't you the one who told me I had to watch all sides for an attack?" Tseng smirked despite the seriousness in his voice, knowing that Reno often gave advice he himself wouldn't take. It was one of his more endearing and infuriating charms.

Reno sniggered and jumped as Tseng slipped a band-aid over his back, smooth fingers grazing his sensitive skin. He loved how relaxed Tseng was around him, feeling free to talk and even be sarcastic. He turned and tapped Tseng's nose with a wink. "Do what I say not what I do." The face Tseng made in response to his feather-light prodding made him laugh aloud, unable to hide the smug satisfaction he always felt when emotion broke through Tseng's stoic veil.

Tseng brushed Reno's hand away and rubbed his nose as the gentle tapping made it itch. He drank in Reno's amused laugh happily, unable to get enough of the kind laughter that was for him but not directed at him. There was a mirth to Reno's laughter that made Tseng's own chest bubble with the element and in no time at all they were tittering like school girls as they tried to eat their lunch. They joked and ate, for a short period of time simply enjoying being alive. Their simple pleasures soon faded as the crunch of feet on grass permeated their porous laughter.

Tseng should have known their peaceful solitude would be encroached upon eventually, watching the fast moving demons with distaste as he helped Reno pack up their lunch. He hurried to drag Reno to his feet and get them away from their now worthless hiding place but was knocked to the ground before he could gain his bearings. He lashed out impulsively as he watched one of the filthy demons grab Reno by the hair and was brutally kicked for his efforts. He rolled to his hands and knees even as the lung emptying kicks tried to force him back to the ground. Reno struggled and yelled for him to run as the metal lunchbox collided with his skull but Tseng refused to flee like a coward, even when blood started to sting his eyes. He grabbed the bloody lunchbox as it made its descent towards his face and pulled the demon to the ground with him, biting, kicking, punching, and scratching every foul inch of the beast that he could reach. Sounds of Reno doing the same reached his ears as he used the dented lunchbox as a weapon against the now bleeding demon below him. He heard Reno yell with pain and launched himself from the cowering form of his demon, lunging for the sharp fanged monster that was tracing a knife down Reno's pale chest.

Reno squirmed as he was put into a very effective headlock, watching the two scenes unfold around him helplessly. Tseng, quiet, calm, beautiful Tseng, was bleeding and screaming with rage as he caused more damage than Reno would have ever thought him capable of. Reno couldn't concentrate long on the harsh sounds of metal against bone as his own discomfort peaked. His shoulders were wrenched backwards and his arms were dangling helplessly above his head, flailing at the elbows as he desperately tried to free himself. One of the hands rendering his arms useless shifted and withdrew a knife from a deep pocket as the other hand kept his movements futile. Reno squirmed and writhed, trying to show as little fear and emotion as Tseng did when he was taking damage. He heard the gentle snick of the knife being flicked open and couldn't contain the fearful whimper that pushed past his lips. His struggling became more frantic as the knife poked into his chest and pulled a sharp cry of pain from his throat as it drew a thin line through his shirt and down his chest. A harsh voice whispered in his thrashing ear. "Why couldn't you just keep ta yerself kid? None of this would be happenin' if you'da just kept yer trap shut and laughed with the rest of 'em." Reno felt the knife drag lower and stopped his struggles so that the knife wouldn't go any deeper than it already had. His very organs pulsed with fear as the shallow scratch wound down to his stomach, threatening to stab through his suddenly thin flesh and pierce his delicate insides. He felt a heavy weight crash into his side and whimpered with relief as the knife was pulled from his chest. He landed on the ground and curled in on himself as his blood dripped from the gash in thin red rivulets, staining the green grass below him.

Tseng took the knife in his hand and plunged it deep into the arm of the monstrous creature beneath him as he smashed the barely recognizable lunchbox against a thick skull. A few bloody tainted tears leaked from his eyes as he viciously attacked the fiend that had laughed while it cut open his Reno. He didn't stop until he could barely lift his arm, unable to recognize the blood splattered face whose eyes rolled up at him. He wiped his dented forehead on the back of his hand, unable to differentiate his blood from the blood of the fiend that had splattered onto him.

Pained whimpers reached his ears and he crawled towards Reno, ignoring the demon's threats as it picked itself and its sobbing companion up off of the ground. He gave an empty retch as the taste of blood filled his mouth, his shaking arms still pulling him towards Reno. Reno was curled in on himself, hands trying to hold in the blood running slowly from the thankfully thin wound. Tseng rolled Reno onto his side and examined him head to foot, sighing with relief as he found that there was only one short gash causing his friend pain. A few drops of his own blood dripped onto Reno's already stained shirt, tiny crimson roses blossoming alongside the red river already running down the white fabric.

He pulled Reno to his feet, both of them needing to use the other for a crutch as they turned shaky footsteps towards Reno's home. No one stopped them as they left the bloody patch of grass behind and left the school and its horrors behind. There was no going back to school after what had just happened outside its doors.

Tseng curled one hand around Reno's waist and pressed the other against the bleeding line in his friend's chest, silently pleading with Gaia to make the wound stop crying crimson tears. He could feel Reno's hand alongside his own and watched the blood drip from between their intertwined fingers as he led them home, his steps heavy and staggering. A gentle thump pounded against his hand, the pulse constantly reassuring him that Reno was very much alive in his arms. The vital thud of Reno's heart against his hand gave his relentless fear less power. Once their steps turned into Reno's driveway he sighed with relief, knowing that there were enough band-aids and washcloths to dress wounds twice as deep as what Reno had sustained inside the welcoming brick home before them.

Reno tugged his keys out of his pocket and let them in, his hand leaving a bloody print on the doorknob. He shut it behind them and kicked his shoes off, motioning for Tseng to do the same. No matter how hurt he was there was no way in hell he was going to track dirt and mud into his mothers house. They staggered up the steps and into his bedroom, practically throwing themselves into the bathroom he had all to himself. Reno sat on the edge of the tub and cradled his bleeding chest, whimpering with the stings every pound of his heart pushed through the wound. He knew the cut wasn't enough to kill him as it was already starting to stop its bloody tirade, scabbing over as it congealed shut. He sniffed and tried to control his whimpers as Tseng ripped open his shirt, buttons flying in all directions. A cool cloth was pressed over the wound and it gently passed over the bloody spot, soothing as it cleaned the angry flesh.

Tseng worked quietly, all of his focus on Reno and the rip in his middle. He payed the drips of blood falling into his eyes no mind as he tried to fix Reno's hurt. He could tell Reno was doing his best not to cry, but he had given in to the tears that dripped down his nose before they had ever reached the house. Worry plagued his mind as vividly painful memories of his father making the same type of incision across his chest sulied his thoughts. He tried to stop the sanity shattering remembrances that made his hands tremble as he cleaned and covered the thin scratch like Reno had done for him after his pain-filled encounters with his parents. The flood gate to his dammed fears had crashed open and refused to close, his rationality drowning in the swirling tides of unpleasant memories and remembered hurts. It wasn't until Reno's cut was papered over with bandages that he started to relax, the fear ebbing slightly as their cause was taken away. He kept his hands on Reno's chest as blood continued to drip slowly over his nose, trying to control his frightened sobs as they shook his thin frame.

Reno watched Tseng's blood tear stained face as he pulled bloody hands from his torso and wiped them clean. He cleaned the cut that seeped above Tseng's brow and bandaged it before wrapping his arms around the shaking boy as his own pain faded. He felt fingers dig into his back as he held Tseng close and murmured quiet reassurances into his ear as he held the frail, trembling frame close. Tears soon mixed with the blood stains on his shirt and he cradled Tseng to him as tight as he could, waiting for the quivering body in his arms to still. He felt a short whisper brush across his neck and he shivered slightly. "What Tseng?"

Tseng lifted his head to look up at Reno, needing to meet his eyes as he spoke. "I'm sorry." It was all he could think to say, and he didn't feel it was enough.

"Don't be! You're not the one that cut me." Reno brushed one hand over Tseng's cheek, catching a few tears on his fingers. He stared at wet black eyes and nearly lost himself in the undeniable urge to kiss Tseng's soft face dry. He licked his lips and moved down, ready to obey the demands of his desire despite the consequences. A harsh knock sounded on the door and he pulled away quickly, rocketing to his feet to open the door before his mother could. Reno didn't know why, but he didn't want her to know about his feelings for Tseng. As far as she was concerned Tseng was his best friend and nothing more. Even Tseng didn't know about his feelings, but Reno figured that the near kiss just moments ago probably shone some light on the matter. Eventually he would have to talk to Tseng about it and let him know before he did something stupid and pushed him away. He had only managed to keep his hands to himself because of his undeniable fear that Tseng would be afraid or disgusted by his desires.

Reno had never seen his mothers lips stretched so thinly. She scowled down at him as she examined their tattered shirts and bloody band-aids with distaste. "I want an explanation _now_."

Reno took a deep breath and began his hasty narration of their story. "We were eating lunch and these guys jumped us and one of 'em got Tseng and the other one got me and Tseng beat them both up with my lunchbox but not before the first guy tried to cut out my guts we're okay though 'cause we bandaged each other up see?" Reno pointed at the bandages that coated his chest to prove his point.

His mother's face fell and she looked between the two with a worried expression. "You were attacked during school hours? On school grounds!?"

Reno rolled his eyes at her before answering. "Ma we get attacked during school hours on school grounds every day!"

Her lips drew into a tighter line and she wrapped him in a hug before moving to give Tseng the same treatment. "You shoulda told me! I'm callin' the school! There's no way this is goin' ta continue on my watch!"

Reno grabbed her arm as she moved to leave the bathroom. "Ma that'll only make it worse! They're already after us 'cause we exist, why give them an actual reason ta wail on us?"

Reno's mother shook him off of her arm and shook a disapproving finger in his face. "Don't ya tell me what ta do Reno Sinclair! Your principal will get a call first thing in the mornin'!" She ruffled his hair kindly, mussing it so that the untidy red-spikes splayed in all directions. "I gotta work double shifts tonight so I won't be able ta call today. I want you boys ta stay in the house though, no going out ta try and blow up that rocket alright? If it's alright with Tseng's parents he can stay the night since I won't be around ta drive him home." Mrs. Sinclair gave Tseng a warm smile before leaving the room. A kind good-bye chased after her and the boys listened to the gentle hum of her car as it pulled out of the drive.

Reno turned back to Tseng with a happy smile. "So how about it? Wanna sleep over?" He couldn't have asked for a better plan for the evening. If Tseng stayed at his house all night then he could protect him and none of the harsh gashes that crisscrossed Tseng's body would reopen without his permission. Reno's head swam with the happy thoughts of an undamaged Tseng and he let his hopes raise to the ceiling as he eagerly waited for Tseng's answer.

Tseng was still crouched on the floor in the same position Reno had left him in, confusion running through his mind as he tried to concentrate on the words being spoken. He tried to shake the heady feeling that kept his legs from pushing him upright but failed, deciding to stay on the floor until the feeling passed. He was sure that Reno had just been seconds away from kissing him and that made his head spiral out of control. The fact that he was being offered a safe haven for the night only increased the strange euphoria and he didn't hesitate to answer. "Of course!" He paused as he remembered what Reno's mother had said about his parents, knowing that calling them was out of the question. He quickly thought up a lie to try and keep Reno from making him reveal his home life. "My parents are out of town right now, does it really matter if I call and ask them?"

Reno shrugged. "If they aren't going to notice who cares?" He took his ruined shirt and tossed it into the trash-can, knowing that no amount of bleach would be able to remove the bloody stains.

Tseng sighed with relief and raised himself up on shaky legs, wobbling slightly as he stood. He smiled as Reno reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him downstairs and into the kitchen. Reno busied himself making food, trying to recreate the lunch that had been destroyed while Tseng watched him with unguarded interest. They ate happily, trying to pretend that nothing had happened at school or in the bathroom. After dinner they watched television, lounging on the couch together as they joked and laughed. Tseng couldn't have planned a happier way to pass the time if he tried.

They almost fell asleep on the couch, Reno jerking to awareness before he managed to doze with his head in Tseng's lap. He turned off the TV and dragged Tseng off of the couch, guiding his stumbling friend up the stairs. Tseng yawned as Reno tossed him some spare pajamas, pulling them on while Reno tactfully averted his eyes and changed himself. He pushed Tseng onto the bed and cuddled up beside him after turning off the light. Reno rested his head on Tseng's chest, grinning happily as warm arms surrounded him and cuddled him back without hesitation. He listened to Tseng's breathing even out as he fell asleep, the pain of the day completely forgotten as he lay in his angel's arms.

**

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Author's Note: This story has the least dialogue of any story I have ever written ever! I hope that doesn't bother anybody but if it does, too bad! :) So far everyone seems to like this story, so I'm going to keep it going! Thanks for all the kind reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

Reno woke up with his head buried in Tseng's chest, completely content to stay where he was no matter how loudly his bladder screamed in protest, threatening to rupture if he didn't do something to fix the problem and soon. He didn't care though, he was warm, safe, and happy despite the discomfort he could easily disregard. He didn't know how many opportunities he would have to simply be wrapped in Tseng's very snug arms and he wanted to relish the sensation for as long as he could. Reno didn't think he had ever slept so soundly in his life. He had had none of his usual nightmares about his father, no terrifying visions of Tseng being torn apart by human shaped wolves, no dreams at all. It was the most peaceful night's sleep he had ever had.

Once he was awake however, it didn't take long for what had woken him to make itself known. His mother was hovering over the bed and had started poking him in the shoulder irritatedly, whispering his name to try and rouse him. Reno feigned sleep for as long as he could, not wanting to leave the warm body he was nestled beside, but his mother's continued prods completely killed the good mood he was in. He grumbled his annoyance as he rolled out of Tseng's arms and onto the floor, landing with a boneless thump and rolling onto his back. Reno opened angry sleep fogged eyes at his mother, scowling as much as his tired muscles would allow. She scowled back and beckoned for him to follow her downstairs, disapproval evident in every line of her face. Reno groaned louder and pointed at the bathroom, making it very apparent what his first priority was. She rolled her eyes and pointed out the door again before stalking off quietly, obviously not wanting to disturb Tseng.

Reno wobbled to the bathroom on unsteady legs and relieved himself, his aggravated bladder giving a cry of triumph as it emptied into his porcelain throne. He washed his hands and tiptoed out of his bedroom to figure out what his mother wanted, throwing Tseng's sleeping form a jealous glance. Tseng had rolled over and had a confused look on his sleeping face as the spot where Reno had been began to grow cold under his sleepy hands. Reno smiled and shut the door quietly, hoping Tseng would stay asleep for just a little while longer.

The trip down the downstairs was much quicker when Reno actually tripped, but he rather preferred the more commonplace method of traversing the stairs. He landed in a small heap at his mothers feet, cursing quietly as he picked himself up off the floor. She backhanded him across the face when he was back on his feet and he rubbed his cheek, mouth open in surprise. He gaped at her silently as she began to scold him without mercy, her finger wagging in his face in a very motherly fashion.

"What do you think you were doing? Why were you and Tseng in the same bed? Why were you two..._cuddling_ like that? Did you have_ sex_!" Reno hadn't seen his mother so angry in as long as he could remember. She had been almost ridiculously happy since she had divorced his scum-bag of a father and Reno hadn't seen her do more than frown since then and she had refrained from laying a malicious hand on him after all his father had done to his far too young body.

"Did I do what!" Reno shouted back, his short fuse quickly burning to its end and unleashing anger he didn't know he had. "You think I would do that to Tseng? Are you sick woman!" Reno couldn't believe she would accuse him of taking so much advantage of his delicate friend. It wasn't that sex had never crossed his mind, he just never thought of making his dreams reality. In his mind Tseng was as delicate as if he were made of glass, held together only by thin pieces of tape and bandages. Reno didn't know much, but he knew male sex involved an awful lot of tearing, tearing he had experienced first hand at far too young an age. It was a memory he would never forget and had caused his mother to divorce his lecherous and filthy father. The fact that she would accuse him of doing something similar to Tseng disgusted him beyond belief.

"Don't you talk to me that way!" His mother shook a disproving finger in his face. "Answer the question!"

"Fuck no I didn't have sex in your house! How could you think that? Did ya smell sex? Aren't we wearing clothes?" Reno plucked at his shirt for emphasis, noting the small tears forming at the edges of his mothers eyes. He lowered his voice. "Why the hell do you think I had sex with Tseng? SO what if we were cuddling! He's my best friend! So what if I like him? Do you have a problem with having a gay son?"

Mrs. Sinclair stammered for an answer, her mouth gaping like a fish. "I'm sorry Reno, its just..." She trailed off with a chocked sob, pulling Reno into a tight hug. "There's nothing wrong if you _are _gay. I just...I don't _know_ alright? I know you're seventeen and you've got..._urges_ but.....Please at least be safe and use a condom or something okay?" She ran a hand over her face and squeezed her eyes shut with a small shudder.

Reno raised an eyebrow at his mother and scratched his head, his anger suddenly gone as the awkwardness of the situation settled in. "Ma, are you givin' me the sex talk? Weren't ya s'posed ta do that like four years ago or somethin'?" He chuckled slightly, the sting in his cheek quickly forgotten as the misunderstanding passed. It only took a few words from his mother for Reno to completely understand why she was upset. Gaia looked down on homosexuality and since Gaia looked down on it, his mother looked down on it. Reno knew why she didn't like homosexuals, but he didn't approve of the bitterness she showed, no matter how warranted it was. There were several reasons he himself should hate homosexuals, but he refused to blame the entire community for the pains inflicted on them both by one. If Gaia wanted everyone to love everyone, why were certain people excluded because of the fact that they loved? In his mind the hypocritical judgment Gaia issued was an injustice that made him stop believing, even though he would never admit his atheism to his mother.

Mrs. Sinclair gave a weak chuckle as she wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Sorry baby, I overreacted. Forgive me?"

"Course Ma, ya know I can't get mad at ya when ya make such amazing cookies." Reno wiggled his eyebrows as he dropped a hint for what his breakfast of choice would be, nudging her with a sly grin.

She playfully shoved him towards the stairs before turning towards the kitchen. "You're not havin' cookies for breakfast."

Reno gave a dramatic sigh and raced up the stairs, much better at going up them than going down them. He quietly opened the door of his room to find Tseng sitting up and rubbing tired eyes with a sleepy smile. Reno smirked and slammed the door behind him, making Tseng jump. "Hey Tsengy-poo. Sleep well?"

Tseng had never slept so well in his entire life. He had never felt more safe than when he had had Reno's arms securely wrapped around him and he had hoped to wake up to that same comfort. Even though Tseng had woken up alone he knew he had been accompanied throughout the night by his protector and friend, the slightly warm spot beside him letting him know that Reno had left only moments before he had managed to wake up.

Tseng hadn't wanted to leave his dream, it had been the most pleasant dream he had ever had without any competition. He and Reno had been sitting toe to toe on the stainless blue carpet Tseng had come to love and they had been talking. Tseng couldn't remember the conversation, but he didn't need to. The words weren't important, only the gentle movement of Reno's lips had been important. He had been happy, one hundred precent happy and there was nothing that could compare to the euphoria he had felt in the dream. There was no fear that his parents would break him, that the demons would slice him, that Reno would leave or turn away with a disgusted glare. There had only been bliss. At the very end Reno had crept closer, closing the short distance between them with his trademark smirk as he pressed their lips together. Tseng had woken up just at the moment their lips touched, his heart pounding as if he had run miles while never leaving the safety of Reno's bed.

"Yeah, I did." Tseng stretched his arms above his head as Reno jumped to sit on the bed beside him, his motions wiggling the mattress and throwing Tseng slightly off balance. Reno smirked and prodded Tseng in the side, giggling as the dark haired boy jumped in surprise. Tseng quickly lowered his arms and raised an eyebrow at Reno. "What was that for?" His heart was still jumping in his chest and he wished he could rip whatever trampoline it was bouncing on out from beneath it so he could feel somewhat normal around his friend. If Reno found out about his Gaia-condemned feelings he would definitely push him away out of disgust, Tseng was sure of it.

Reno shrugged and said nothing, laying down on his back and throwing his head in Tseng's lap. Tseng looked down at his somewhat puzzling best friend with his head cocked to one side in confusion. "Where did you go?" Tseng was still a little upset about having to wake up alone after falling asleep so peacefully the night before in Reno's arms. He had never fallen asleep with so little fear of not waking up and he wished he could spend every night that way.

"Ma needed ta talk to me." Reno looked up at Tseng with a smile that betrayed none of the devious things he was thinking at the moment. He had to restrain himself and it was getting harder and harder for him each day, something he noticed but Tseng didn't seem to pick up on. Reno didn't know whether or not he should be happy about Tseng's lack of perception or upset by it. He liked keeping his secret thoughts secret, but he did want to know what Tseng thought of him. Even if Tseng shared none of his attraction he still wanted to know, just so he could have the knowledge and know how to act around his reserved friend so he wouldn't push him away and lose every chance he ever or never had of playing out his dreams.

"What about?" Tseng resumed his stretching despite the heavy head that rested on his legs, intent on removing the small knots of tension in his body. He gave a happy sigh as his back and arms cracked several times, startling Reno. Tseng laughed freely as Reno shot upright and glared at him fiercely.

"Don't do that! Don't you know its bad for your bones?" Reno grabbed Tseng's chin and forced him to meet his eyes as Tseng smirked and began cracking his knuckles out of spite. "No! Bad Tseng!"

"Am I a dog now?" Tseng felt heat creep up the back of his neck as his pulse jumped under Reno's thin fingers. He couldn't help the small gasp that passed through his lips despite the cocky attitude he was trying to pull off. Tseng hoped Reno hadn't heard the tiny noise, but knew better than to think there was a thing about him that Reno didn't pick up on. Reno knew where every hurt was, heard every quiet noise, and could tell what kind of mood he was in by simply looking at him. It was slightly unnerving, but Tseng couldn't say that he truly minded Reno's powers of perception.

Reno ran his thumb over Tseng's jawline with a smirk, enjoying the smooth bruise-less skin jumping under his fingers as he gazed into deep brown-black eyes. The quickening of Tseng's pulse sent his heart crashing up to his throat and then plummeting down into his stomach to settle somewhere around his loins. He tried to ignore the very real urge to pull Tseng just a little closer and taste the body that had kept him warm the night before, but the harder he tried to resist the more determined he seemed to be to fail. He was lightheaded with desire and the deep black pools he was gazing at seemed to choke and drown all of his reasoning. He was just about to act on instinct and damn the consequences when his mother's voice crashed over him like a bucket of cold water. "Boys! Breakfast!"

Reno pulled his hand from Tseng's face, his head spinning back onto his shoulders with a heavy thud. He flashed Tseng a smile, determined to act like nothing had happened even though he had unconsciously leaned dangerously close to the pools he was drowning in. Reno jumped to his feet and rushed to the door, shouting to Tseng as he went. "Last one down is a rotten egg!"

Tseng stayed where he was as Reno bolted down the stairs, rooted to the spot. As the blur of blue and red had left his vision he was able to comprehend what Reno had said and he stood up on shaky legs that threatened to spill him onto the floor. The pulse roaring through his ears matched time with the rib breaking crashes of his heart as he staggered downstairs and reached the bottom landing just in time to see Reno being beat upside the head with a spoon. He paused in confusion as Reno grabbed his arms and hid behind him, giggling like mad. Reno's mother stopped and gave him a bright smile. "Good mornin' Tseng. Sleep well?"

Tseng nodded dumbly as he looked between the spoon in Mrs. Sinclair's hand and the tuft of red he could see over his shoulder. He could feel hot breath against his back as Reno laughed uncontrollably and let his arms be held to his sides as he was used as a human shield. Tseng finally opened his mouth to speak as the batter coated spoon was lowered and Reno's mother began giggling. "What did I miss?"

Reno peeked his head over Tseng's shoulder and sent his mother a cheeky grin. He rested his chin on Tseng's shoulder as he tried to explain what had happened, unsure of where exactly to start. The entire situation had unfolded so fast he had to straighten out his own giggling thoughts before he could answer Tseng's question. "Well Ma was stirrin' up more pancakes and was just about to put blueberries in the batter when I distracted her and stole a bunch of 'em. Then she started chasin' me around the kitchen with a spoon like a madwoman!" He giggled as his hands left blue stains along Tseng's arms.

Tseng raised an eyebrow and pulled away from Reno slightly so that he could look at him without bringing their faces any closer together. His heart was still pounding erratically from the electric moment they had shared in Reno's bedroom and he knew Reno's mother probably wouldn't enjoy it if the tension was recreated before her eyes. He didn't understand what was so wrong about wanting to be with someone of the same gender because to him people were people and even though some were better or worse than others, they were all technically the same. They all had the same basic needs and desires and if it was possible to find someone who met those needs then why did it matter to anyone what they were hiding in their pants? Homophobia made no sense to him, but he knew that Reno's mother would hate him if she knew what his feelings were towards Reno. He was still unsure of those feelings himself, but he knew that not all of his thoughts about Reno were innocent.

Reno smirked back at him and Tseng was reminded of his dream, something that made him pull away from the sticky blue hands that held him as his rib cage started to crack from the strain his heart was putting it under. He watched as Reno's mother took advantage of his shift in position and whacked Reno on the top of his head with the spoon, batter flecking in all directions so that Tseng couldn't escape the thin doughy spray. Reno whined as his mother grinned in triumph and stalked back to the kitchen without a second glance, her spoon dripping a gooey trail on the floor behind her. Tseng quailed a little as Reno glared at him, wondering if he had done something wrong. He really hadn't meant to leave Reno completely unprotected from his mothers wrath, but he was fairly sure he would have had a small heart attack if he hadn't left Reno's immediate proximity right away.

Tseng's face fell as Reno gave an evil laugh and lunged at him, pushing him to the floor and rubbing blue hands in his face. Reno felt he had to get _some_ kind of payback for Tseng's desertion and turning the nice pale skin beneath his hands blue seemed like a very good way to get revenge. Besides, he really enjoyed touching Tseng and made no effort to refrain from doing so when the opportunity presented itself. Tseng rolled out from under him and ran laughing into the kitchen with Reno in tow, hiding behind Reno's mother with an evil grin. Mrs. Sinclair set her hands on her hips and glared at Reno as Tseng very quietly snuck a handful of blueberries out of the carton she had left unguarded. The two shared a secret glance and Tseng grabbed the entire carton of blueberries as Reno grabbed the plate of pancakes from the table and they ran from the room. Mrs. Sinclair stood in shock, her pancakes slowly charring behind her as she watched the boys run out of the house with a loud chorus of 'thank you'.

Reno was howling with laughter as he led Tseng into the grassy field behind his house, his feet following the well-worn path they had made in the grass. They had decided to use the field to build and launch their rocket after the first in-house explosion. Actually, Mrs. Sinclair had ordered them both out of the house and forbid them to bring the rocket anywhere near her, but Reno preferred to see it as their decision instead of an order. Reno didn't mind the switch being moved outside because he loved being outside and being outside with Tseng made outside even better. The fact that they could be alone while outside was just topping on the cake.

Soon enough they reached their destination, a tiny circle of flattened grass that had more than its fair share of bald spots from all of the explosions and failed launches that had taken place on it. It wasn't their fault the rocket wouldn't fly, Reno didn't see how the thing was supposed to get into the air when it exploded before it ever left the ground. Tseng had been wracking his brains over the problem for weeks but Reno didn't mind. The explosions were entertaining.

Reno sat down in one of the larger bald spots so that the grass wouldn't tickle his legs, grabbing one of the pancakes and taking a large bite as Tseng joined him. Tseng set the carton of blueberries on the ground and reached for a pancake himself, taking a bite before commenting. "Do you think your mom will be mad that we stole all the food?"

Reno shrugged and quickly finished his pancake before answering. "Why would she? She made them for us and had some cooking for herself so it shouldn't be a problem. She'll just be mad that we didn't pray first." Reno laughed and grabbed another pancake, not noticing the somewhat mortified look on Tseng's face.

Tseng quickly set his pancake back on the plate and folded his hands, preparing to pray. Reno rolled his eyes and grabbed Tseng's hands, startling the teen as he shoved the pancake back into them. Tseng raised an eyebrow and Reno explained himself. "Listen Tsengy, ya don't have ta pray every time ya eat okay? We don't pray at lunch do we? Ma just has a thing about praying like a maniac for everythin'. She probably prays after she sneezes." Reno snorted as he took a large blueberry filled bite of pancake.

"Hey Reno." Tseng held his pancake loosely in his hand as he watched Reno continue eating. "Do you have something against Gaia?"

Reno nearly choked on his food, not expecting the question at all. Tseng gently patted him on the back as he coughed and tried to swallow the angry pancake that was cutting off his airway, wrestling it into submission and forcing it back down his throat. Once he finally won the battle with his food he looked at Tseng in confusion, unsure of just how to word his answer. He knew that the idea of Gaia gave hope to Tseng and he didn't want to disillusion his friend, but he knew if there was anything in the world that would keep Tseng from loving him the way he wanted to be loved, it was Gaia. Reno felt selfish for pulling Tseng from his newfound religion, but he justified it as necessary. He sighed and explained his views. "Tsengy, if Gaia is all-powerful, why does she let bad things happen? If we're supposed ta treat everyone the way we wanna be treated, why does she tell us to exclude certain people? The entire religion feels like a hypocritical sham ta me, ya know? For all we know Gaia could be somethin' the government thought up ta give us hope and keep us complacent, or she could be the real deal. Either way, she's too abstract for us ta know how ta worship and if everyone in the world prays to her all the time, how will she ever hear the people who really need help?"

Tseng took a bite of his pancake as he mulled over Reno's words, noting the somewhat scared look Reno was sending him as he talked. The fact that Reno seemed scared to share his beliefs with him confused him, usually Reno was unafraid to say anything. He knew Reno would be damning himself in Gaia's eyes by thinking the way he did, but he did know that he didn't care that Reno didn't believe the way everyone else seemed to. Tseng himself had been having doubts about Gaia since he learned about her, wondering why she continued to let the demons rip them to shreds on a daily basis when they had done nothing to deserve the punishment. He had heard the demon from the day before tell Reno that he was a 'Wutain bastard', but he didn't know what his ethnicity had to do with his actions. He had never even been to Wutai, couldn't speak Wutain, and was fairly sure his parents had never been to Wutai either. If Gaia was letting the demons hate him for being Wutain, then why should he love her? Tseng looked at Reno and finished his pancake with a smile. "I don't get it either."

Reno felt relief drop onto his shoulders with a heavy thud and he sighed with it, glad that the tense knot that had been twisting his insides was gone. He grabbed one of the blueberries from the carton Tseng had brought and popped it into his mouth, chewing happily as he placed his hands behind his head and laid back on the grass. "I don't think we're gonna be able ta eat all these pancakes."

Tseng laughed and followed Reno's lead, grabbing a blueberry and laying down on the soft grass. "Your mom will be disappointed if we don't." Reno's mother always expected them to eat until they burst and Tseng usually made himself somewhat sick trying to please her. He had put on some weight since he had started eating regularly, something that startled him as much as it pleased him. He no longer had the emaciated look of a starving dog and had grown actual muscles with all the extra nourishment he was getting and all the fighting they were doing. The health that was blossoming on his features angered his parents and made their attacks even more ferocious, but Tseng wouldn't trade the pleasant changes in his physique for anything.

Reno sniggered and stretched on the ground, content to watch the clouds skip across the sky above them. "So what? She made fifty of 'em! How in the hell were we supposed ta eat fifty pancakes?" The quickly cooling stack of delicious blueberry laden pancakes was taunting Reno and he sat back up and grabbed another, unable to resist the sweet temptation.

"Put them in our mouths and chew, that's how." Tseng laughed and propped himself up on his elbows so he could watch Reno feast on pancakes. Reno was sitting with his legs crossed underneath him and staring down at Tseng with a happy smile as he ate, his teeth turning blue after all the blueberries he had eaten. Tseng couldn't get enough of the smiles Reno gave him, unable to convince himself that they were going to be around forever. He had the ominous feeling that this small and happy period of his life was a calm before the storm, and that someday soon his parents would keep him from waking up like they promised. Every night they threatened him with death until it no longer scared him. Tseng could handle the idea of dying, but the idea of leaving Reno was something he couldn't come to terms with. He didn't want to come to terms with the idea either, hoping that if he didn't think about it it would never happen.

Reno smirked at Tseng and threw a blueberry at him, grinning as it bounced off the Wutain boy's nose. Tseng's face and arms were still blue from the sticky juice Reno had rubbed on him earlier and Reno couldn't help but laugh as Tseng rubbed his nose and spread the blue gunk around more. He ducked as Tseng retaliated by throwing a blueberry at him and soon they had a blueberry war going on, the small blue fruits flying in all directions and only occasionally hitting their targets. Reno soon got sick of missing Tseng and lunged at him with a frustrated cry, pinning him to the ground and straddling him so he couldn't get away. He held one hand on Tseng's shirt and grabbed a blueberry with the other, holding the juice filled fruit over Tseng's face with a malicious smile as Tseng tried to push him off. He shoved the blueberry onto Tseng's forehead and began smearing it around, grinning as Tseng writhed and tried to fight him off. He drew thin blue lines down Tseng's cheeks, very very tempted to follow the trails with his tongue. A blush coated his cheeks as he tried to get his urges back under control as Tseng wriggled maddeningly beneath him, his concentration slipping along with his grip on Tseng's shirt. Reno yelped as Tseng managed to roll him onto his back and pin his arms above his head and sat panting with triumph as he hovered over him. Reno felt his heart race as Tseng simply straddled him and held him down, his thoughts beginning to drift into dark daydreams again. He cleared his throat and pushed his hips into the ground, trying to keep himself from brushing against Tseng as he tried to pull his thoughts back onto a topic that wouldn't make him blush so much. It was rather hard to do with Tseng straddling him the way he was. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Tseng cocked his head to one side as he gazed down at Reno, his chest throbbing with the palpitations of his heart. He didn't know when he had gotten stronger than Reno, but at the moment it was an advantage he didn't mind at all. Of course, now that he had Reno pinned he didn't know what to do with him. Usually he was the one being tackled to the ground and Reno had a plethora of things he enjoyed doing to torment him while he was down, but Tseng was at a loss for what to do.

"Pin me." Reno pulled at his hands and tried to free them, but Tseng's grip wasn't going to be broken any time soon. He lay very still, unsure of what Tseng's thoughts were. He knew very well what his thoughts were and was trying to keep them under control as they buzzed around his head and began making him very uncomfortable.

Tseng shrugged and moved both of Reno's wrists into one hand as he reached for a blueberry, an evil smile on his lips. He held the blueberry over Reno's face and saw a small smile curl the edges of blue-stained lips. "Think I should get payback?" He was going to get payback either way, the blue juice running down the side of his face making him feel vindictive.

Reno squirmed, half-heartedly trying to escape the juice that dripped onto his face as Tseng squeezed the sticky berry. He could feel blue stains forming on his cheeks and grimaced as Tseng squished the blueberry onto his nose. Reno managed to rip his hands from Tseng's distracted hold and pulled the berry off of his face before grabbing Tseng's shoulders and pushing him off of his chest. He got up and ran, dashing back towards the house with a loud mirthful shriek as he heard Tseng get up behind him.

Reno stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the driveway, panic flooding his senses as he recognized the second car in his driveway. His breath caught in his throat and he stood rooted to the spot as Tseng caught up to him and grabbed him from behind. The unexpected shock of hands wrapping around him nearly made him scream and he turned around quickly, shoving Tseng away in fear. Tseng stood and stared at him, looking confused and hurt as Reno's shoulders heaved with panicked breaths. Reno felt tears sting his eyes and he let out a panicked whisper. "Dad is here."

Tseng's eyes widened as he looked between Reno and the very rusty car sitting in his driveway. He could feel the terrified trembling that shook Reno's thin frame under his hands and they both jumped in fear as they heard a loud long scream. Reno turned on the spot and rushed into the house, Tseng at his heels.

Reno crashed through the front door without taking his shoes off, knowing that the mud on the carpet wouldn't matter if his father was allowed to continue pulling tortured screams from his mothers throat. "Ma! Ma!" Reno shouted in fear as he ran into the kitchen, his screams cut short as his face met a large beefy fist. He stumbled backwards and hit the doorframe as lights flashed before his eyes. It didn't take long for his vision to clear but when it did, he screamed in horror. His mother, his kind, loving, over-protective, Gaia-fearing mother, was sprawled against the oven. Her fear-filled and glassy brown eyes were pointed at the ceiling and her mouth was open in a now silent scream as her blood pooled on the floor around her. Tears filled Reno's eyes as he watched the blood-red hair that matched his own lick the flames that were still cooking blueberry pancakes despite the fact that the chef was dead. For Reno timed stopped completely as he stared at his mother's bloody face, transfixed by the horrible sight. Reno didn't even notice Tseng walk into the room as his attention was soon captured by the thick-set man grinning at him from his position by his mothers body, trimming his nails with the bloody knife he had used to gut the still warm Mrs. Sinclair.

Reno's father hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen him. He was still thick, tall, and filthy; his black hair sticking to his neck in matted clumps as he watched Reno with cruel blue eyes. Reno felt anger rise to the forefront of his emotions as his father set a hand on his mothers head and stroked her luscious red hair away from the flames that threatened to burn it. A scream ripped from his throat. "Don't touch her you stupid bastard!"

"Don't talk to your father that way Reno." The murderous man smirked at Reno as he continued to stroke his ex-wife's hair. "Besides, it's a little late for that doncha think?" His father sighed with mock regret as he ran a grimy finger down a teary and bloody cheek. "It's a shame she had to cry so much Reno. It would've been quick if she hadn't cried. I had ta cut out her tears ya see. I hate it when pretty people cry, it makes them so ugly." Mr. Sinclair grinned as he wiped blood from the still flowing wounds beneath the dead woman's eyes, showing Reno and Tseng the long symmetrical lines he had carved into her flesh. "You're not goin' ta cry are ya Reno? I don't wanna hurt ya. I wanna take ya home with me. Doesn't that sound like fun? Things can go back ta the way they were before yer bitch of a mother started interferin'." Reno grabbed his stomach as it threatened to turn over as the mixed disgust from the horror of his mothers dead body and the remembered horror of 'how things were' overwhelmed him. The memories of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse made his legs shake and his skin crawl as his father continued talking as if that part of their lives had been paradise. "I've got a nice place out in the country where we can stay and not be bothered by any o' those asswipes who think I can't take care o' my boy." The nausea was soon overpowered by anger as the beast he was forced to call 'father' continued speaking, taking notice of Tseng during his rambling. "Who's yer frien' Reno?" Reno's fists clenched at his sides and he glared at the blood splattered demon in front of him. "He's Wutain, but where's his little head dot? I thought all Wutains were s'posed ta have head dots? Maybe I can carve him one before we go." His father moved forward with an evil smile, his knife pointing towards Tseng's face.

Reno screamed with incomprehensible rage and threw himself at his demon, fists flailing as he tried to protect the one person he had left to love. He caught his father by surprise and knocked the knife from his hand, shoving him back into the table and pummeling every inch of the filthy man that he could reach. His father grabbed his hair and threw him, his head cracking the drywall as it hit the wall.

Tseng listened to the entire scene with horror, frozen to the spot until Reno finally moved. Once Reno flung himself at the bloody creature before them Tseng raced to the oven and turned off the heat. He grabbed the simmering frying pan and held it like he was a sword, swinging the hot, batter covered piece of metal at Reno's attacker. The pan crashed into the back of the man's skull and made him stumble, giving Tseng an opening to swing again. Tseng crashed the pan into the large man's back as the heat from the pan singed his fingers. Reno was slumped against the wall, dazed with pain as he grabbed the back of his bleeding head. Tseng moved to swing again but missed as the large man showed uncanny speed, dodging the blow and grabbing Tseng by the throat. Tseng dropped the pan and gripped the thick fingers that crushed his windpipe, trying to pry them away so he could breathe. A fist repeatedly collided with his face and gut, knocking the remaining air from his lungs and scattering his drowning thoughts.

Reno tried to pull himself to his feet and fell in a heap, his head swimming as it throbbed. He watched with helpless horror as Tseng was beaten, his already broken body seeming to shatter before Reno's eyes. Reno managed to make it onto his hands and knees, crawling towards the discarded knife on the floor with every intention of turning it against the murderous beast that was trying to destroy everything he loved. Just as he reached the knife it was yanked from under his hands and a shabby boot collided with his side, cracking one of his ribs with a hollow snap.

Tseng felt his eyes roll back into his head as he drowned without inhaling, his lungs screaming for the air that they were being denied. He saw the knife move towards his face and tried weakly to break the hold that held him. He screamed with air he didn't have as the knife carved into his forehead, ripping a small circle of flesh from it.

Reno watched with horror as his father cut Tseng's face open, crimson stains falling thick and heavy onto the floor as Tseng thrashed in pain. Tseng was dropped onto the floor beside him and they screamed together as Tseng pressed his hands over the wound, trying to choke the blood that fell from it. Reno felt tears sting his eyes as a thick hand gripped his hair and wrenched his head upward, his frightened tears falling fast as a grotesque face leveled with his. His father sighed heavily, his disgusting breath washing over Reno's face. "I told you not ta cry Reno." The knife was placed under his left eye. "I can't stand it when pretty people cry." The knife dragged upward. "I _really_ hate crying." Reno didn't scream as two symmetrical lines were carved under his eyes, identical to the ones under the sightless eyes of his dead mother. He didn't shift or move until the knife was withdrawn, afraid of sending the knife deeper into his flesh. His head was dropped and he watched in shock as his blood ran thick and red onto the floor below him.

Tseng blinked blood from his stinging eyes and growled with anger as he watched Reno take his torture without even a scream, proving far stronger than Tseng as he showed none of his pain. Tseng rolled to his hands and knees and searched with bloody hands for the pan that had aided him earlier. Once he found it he gripped it tightly and stood, wobbling as blood obscured his vision. He wiped it from his eyes irritably, no longer feeling any of the pain his body throbbed with as anger coursed through his veins. He swung the pan and it collided with the back of the demons head repeatedly as his anger fed on Reno's pained and frightened sobs, giving him strength he didn't know he had. Soon the demon lay on the floor in a bloody heap, twitching as the pan continued to crash into its head. Tseng continued to beat the demon until his hands dropped the pan out of exhaustion, the dented and bloody chuck of metal landing next to the glassy eyed murderer.

Reno crawled towards his mother, tears mingling with the blood on his face as he reached into her apron, cringing at the blood that was still damp in her pockets. It took him a few moments to clench his shaking hands around the phone that rested in her clothes. He pulled it out and dialed for the police, his voice shaking as he begged for help. The woman on the other side of the phone was emotionless and anything but calming as her monotone voice asked for details. Reno clicked the phone shut after a few minutes, blood loss making him woozy as he crawled to the spot where Tseng was heaped on the floor, his hand over his head. Reno grabbed Tseng by the elbow and pulled him from the room where his dead parents lay bleeding, dragging Tseng with him. He sighed sadly as he dripped blood onto his mother's previously pristine carpet, not terribly worried about his injuries now that there was an ambulance on its way. He sat on the couch and pulled Tseng into his lap, wrapping his arms around the shivering boy that had saved him. Reno wiped blood from Tseng's eyes and gripped his chin, forcing their eyes to meet. Tseng opened his mouth to speak and Reno shushed him before pressing their bloody lips together in a desperate kiss, no longer caring if Tseng wanted him or not.

Tseng reacted instantly, grabbing Reno's bloody face and pulling him closer. He slipped his tongue into the welcoming mouth below him, hungry to taste the flavor that was hidden by the sweet taste of blood and blueberries. Tseng turned and straddled Reno's lap, kissing him desperately as sirens sounded in the distance. Reno kissed him back just as passionately, both of them completely immersed in the taste and feel of each other. Tseng felt his tears leak into the kiss, his head swimming from the loss of blood and the gain of Reno's intoxicating touch. He pulled away to breathe but quickly dived back into the kiss, memorizing the contours of Reno's mouth in case he never was able to taste him again. Tseng was sure he would be placed in prison after what he had done to protect Reno. The man laying on the floor of the kitchen was most definitely dead, and that made him a murderer. Tseng didn't give a damn if he was a murderer or not at the moment and it showed as he tangled his fingers in red-locks and gently ran his hands over bloody cheeks. It was hard to tell whose blood was whose as it mingled on their faces and over their hands, the fatigue associated with the loss of so much of the vital fluid making them both woozy. Tseng pulled his lips from Reno's with a regretful sigh, his dark eyes straining to focus on the bloody blue eyes in front of him. "I love you Reno."

Reno could hear sirens closing in on the home, their wails echoing through his ears along with Tseng's words. He gave a choked sob and pressed one more kiss to Tseng's puffy, crimson stained lips, praying to Gaia and any other god he had heard of that they would be okay. "I love you too Tseng."

Tseng tucked his head into the crook of Reno's neck as he heard the familiar crunch of tires on gravel, his spirits crashing to the floor with his eyelids as he mumbled once again. "I love you." He didn't know if Reno heard him, but the warm arms holding him close squeezed tighter as the door crashed open and people flooded the room.

Reno felt Tseng slump against him and looked over his shoulder as the door was forced open. A light was shined in his eyes and he rolled them in the direction of the officers who flowed into the room. "The door was unlocked ya know."

"Are you alright?" A very thin faced officer approached as the others went into the kitchen, one female officer's high pitched scream cutting through Reno's eardrums.

"Do I look like I'm alright? Grow some brains yo! Take care of him first." He gestured to the dark haired teen still settled in his arms. "I swear if you hurt him more you'll pay for it."

"He'll have the best care we can provide, don't worry." The officer peeled Tseng out of Reno's arms as an EMS crew brought in stretchers and thick black body bags. "Wanna tell me what happened on the way to the hospital?"

"I'll tell ya whatever the hell ya want once I know he's gonna be okay." Reno glared at the officer as Tseng was lifted bodily onto a stretcher, his chest still raising in shallow breaths. "Until I know he's gonna be safe you're not gonna hear anything from me about anything."

"Fine kid, we'll do things your way." The officer frowned as he watched medical personnel lift a weakened Reno onto a stretcher.

"Damn straight we will!" Reno sniggered and blacked out, his blood starved brain allowing him one last glimpse of Tseng before shutting down completely.

**

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Author's Note: Man, this is the longest chapter I have ever written ever! Hopefully you all liked it but the story isn't over yet, I've still got more to write. I had to force myself to stop so that you guys could get a somewhat less ridiculous chapter xD**

**Also; the poll on my profile has been remade so that the final two contestants for my first song-fic can be voted on! Seifer or Tseng? Hmmmmm......you decide because I obviously can't xD**


	4. Chapter 4

Tseng woke in a literal blind panic, his eyes covered with some material he couldn't and didn't care to name. He tried to reach his hands up to tear at the fabric-like covering, but they were held down by thick restraints that only made him struggle harder. His breaths began to shorten and soon he was hyperventilating as he screamed for Reno, confused and frightened. The last thing he could remember was being sprawled across Reno's lap, their lips tangling in a desperate and bloody kiss as Reno's dead parents lay on the kitchen floor. He got no answer to his desperate cries for Reno and he could hear the tight restraints straining and creaking as he thrashed wildly. His shoulders were pressed into the unnoticed mattress beneath him and he immediately stopped his thrashing, thinking that Reno had finally come to tell him what was going on. "Reno?"

"No." The voice was gruff and irritated, it grated on Tseng's hopeful ears and made him quail in fear. He tried to struggle against the hands that pressed him into the mattress but the fingers only tightened to a painful degree. "Breathe! You're not helping anyone when you're like this and I really don't want to sedate you again."

Tseng took a few shaky breaths, choking slightly on fear scented tears he didn't know he had cried. He relaxed slightly so that the hands wouldn't press him so hard, but it was only a slight release of tension. Tseng's body was rigid and quivering, fear and confusion pushing adrenalin through his body so fast he only got a taste of it before it flooded his straining muscles.

Once the man holding his shoulders down realized he was as relaxed as he could be he released him and took a step back, setting himself in the rickety chair next to his bed. He cleared his throat and began speaking, his voice still rough even though the irritation was gone. "Do you remember your name, or just Reno's?"

"Tseng. My name is Tseng." Tseng's voice cracked and broke as he spoke.

The man nodded even though Tseng couldn't see it. "Good. What do you remember last?"

Tseng felt his heart pound in his chest and he quickly edited his story, he didn't need this man knowing about the kiss. "Reno's dad killed his mom and tried to kidnap him, but we fought him." Tseng tried to open his eyes but the fabric bound them shut and he began to panic again. "Why can't I open my eyes! Did I go blind? What happened to my forehead, did they fix it? Where's Reno? He was hurt worse than me! Is he okay? Can I see him?"

A deep sigh reverberated throughout the room and Tseng's panic level increased. The sigh was a mournful one and immediately Tseng felt all his questions get answered in the negative. "Your eyes are shut because your head is bandaged, you're not blind. They stitched you up but you're going to have a scar. Reno is alright, his injuries were not as severe as you think. No, you can't see him. To answer questions you haven't asked yet; yes, you are a murderer. Reno's father is dead as is his mother and your fingerprints were found on the pan that took the life of Mr. Sinclair. You now have two options. You can be sent to jail and be put to death once you are at the age where the death penalty can be legally sentenced."

"What's the other option." Tseng frowned and would have been glaring at the man if he could open his eyes. Tseng didn't want to go to prison. Prison meant the inevitable death penalty and the death penalty meant never seeing Reno again. Any option that gave him even a glimmer of hope for seeing Reno again was an option he would jump at.

"You can work for the Shinra company as a Turk. You would be paid to kill, torture, and obey orders without question. You will go through intense and life-threatening training, but if you survive you will have a job for the rest of your life. We've already talked to your parents and they signed you over to us with a little convincing and some bribery. Even if you don't choose to work for Shinra, you belong to Shinra."

"Will I get to see Reno again if I work for you?" Tseng's voice was tentative, but the fear and confusion was gone from it.

The man gave a quiet nod. "Eventually. He will not be told where you are going and he will not be offered the same deal."

"What's going to happen to him then?" Tseng wished he could see the face of the man who he was selling his life to.

"He's going to a foster home." Tseng growled his disproval and the man continued. "He'll be provided for, don't worry. If he goes to a Shinra run foster home he'll be easier for us to keep tabs on."

"Why do you need tabs on him?" Tseng asked evenly.

"So that we can use him as leverage against you if anything goes sour between you and the company. We always have leverage Tseng." Tseng could almost hear the man's smug smirk.

Tseng needed no further prodding. "Fine, I'll do it."

A heavy hand clapped on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Smart choice. Once you're stable you'll be transfered to the Shinra hospital." Tseng nodded and felt his heart sink and heavy footsteps reverberated in his ears as they marched away.

* * *

Reno nearly launched himself from the bed once he woke up, but a pair of handcuffs kept him down. He gave the metal restraint a few testing tugs before sighing in defeat. He slumped back down on the bed and began jamming his finger on the nurse call button, eager to annoy the people who kept sedating him to keep him from running to Tseng. Soon enough a nurse appeared and he prepared to harass her but she simply disconnected the button he was delightedly pressing and walked away, her painted lips parted in a comical frown. Reno pouted, the motion making his painless face throb strangely. He pressed a questioning fingertip below his eye and felt a row of small uniform stitches pulsing with unfelt pain. Reno shrugged and continued to yank on his handcuff, desperately thinking of ways to undo the cumbersome restraint. He knew the doctors and nurses didn't want him moving as they were sure he would bolt from the room and try to find Tseng again. Reno's face pulsed again but he didn't feel anything but a twitch-like pulse under his eyes. He felt fine, but that was probably because of the copious amounts of painkillers they had flooded into his system.

Reno grinned as he thought up a solution to his problem, reaching up to the I-V drip above him and removing the bag. He sat up as best as he could and snapped off the metal prong his drip had been hanging from. Reno took the thin strip of metal and jammed it into the lock, twisting and maneuvering it experimentally. His tongue stuck out between his teeth as he listened intently for the lock to click open. The door burst open and he jumped guiltily before poorly hiding the make-shift lock-pick beneath his pillow. He saluted with his free hand and slumped back into the bed. "Howdy stranger. Where the hell is Tseng?"

A suited man walked up to his bedside and smirked as he reached beneath Reno's pillow and pulled out the abused looking metal strip. "Are you trying to escape?"

"Damn straight I am. I wanna see Tseng, where the hell is he?" Reno frowned and sullenly crossed one arm over his chest as the other one was stuck fast to the side of the bed.

"Tseng is a murderer and will be treated as such." The man's voice was cold and devoid of emotion, something that irked Reno to no end.

Reno snarled angrily. "Shut the hell up ya stupid bastard! Ya don't know what yer talkin' about Tseng ain't a murderer he killed my bastard of a father in self-defense! Didn't ya see the chunk outta his forehead?" Reno's Junon accent was coming through heavily in his rage and he gestured to his throbbing cheeks. "Dontcha see these? It was that sick bastard that put 'em there!" The man put a hand up to try and stop Reno's angry yelling but Reno talked over him. "You better not hurt 'im or I swear I'll pound yer ass so bad you'll be bleedin' fer a week! If you lay one hand on 'im I'll bite it off!"

"Shush!" Reno fell into a disgruntled silence at the man's yell. "Tseng will come to no harm if you behave yourself. As of right now Tseng is Shinra property and what they do to him is up to them. If you do anything you'll just make things worse for him."

Reno's anger welled up again and he shouted. "Shinra took 'im? Why the fuck does Shinra want 'im?"

"It's not my place to say." The man frowned at Reno as his patience strained. "You will be sent to a foster home after you've healed and Tseng is going to Shinra."

Reno's eyes narrowed and he was practically frothing at the mouth as he snarled viciously. "Ya didn't answer my question ya asshole! Why does Shinra want Tseng?"

The man threw the metal strip back onto the bed and turned on his heel. "Get some rest and stay in your bed. You don't want to know what the next step is after handcuffs."

Reno bellowed angrily at the retreating back as he jerked on the cuff, the metal cutting into his wrist until it bled as he strained to attack the man. "Get back here asswipe I'm not done with you! Hey! I'm talkin'! Where's Tseng! I WANT TO SEE TSENG!"

A slew of nurses rushed into the room and tried to hold him down, but now he was armed and he stabbed at them with his lock-pick turned shank. A few nurses received large gashes in various places from the jagged edges of the metal strip and they only increased his angry attempts to harm them when they tried to pry it from his hands. Soon enough a doctor ran into the room with a syringe full of clear fluid, the sight of the needle making Reno thrash harder. Five nurses held his arms to his side as the sedative was stabbed into his arm, the clear fluid moving into his veins and making him sluggish quickly. He still tried to struggle, but his arms felt like lead weights and they dropped to his sides, wrists held up off the bed by the handcuffs. A nurse pulled the metal shank out of his hand and rehung his I-V drip, moving the stand far out of his reach. Reno was barely able to keep his eyes open as his free hand was cuffed onto the bed and he felt a few tears leak out of his eyes as he continued to beg for Tseng. "Please just let me see him! I want to see Tseng! Please! He's all I've got left! Please!" A few nurses cast him pitiful glances as they walked out of the room, some of them cradling bleeding limbs. Reno slumped back against the pillows as the drug coursed through his system and ate at his consciousness. A few more tears leaked down to tangle in his stitches and he sobbed quietly as lead filled eyes closed.

**

* * *

Author's Note: Poor Reno. Poor Tseng. Much sadness!**

**Anywho, there's more dialogue in this one but the next chapter should be quieter again. **

**Also, I have a poll up on my profile to decide between 2 characters for a fic, please vote!**


	5. Chapter 5

Reno growled and pushed the drunk man off of him. "Get the fuck out."

The man stammered a bit and his face fell, still hovering at the edge of the bed despite Reno's very clear instruction. "What?"

"I said get the fuck out! I'm sure you can remember where the door is." Reno pulled up his covers to cover his nakedness and watched with disgust and self-loathing as inebriated eyes scanned his body.

The man frowned and pulled his clothes on, walking out of the room with a sad sigh. He paused at the door and turned around. "Can I call you?"

"I don't have a phone." Reno frowned and wished the drunk bastard would just leave. He didn't know why he kept trying to have a successful one night stand, he always managed to sober up before he finished and his conquest always left disappointed and angry.

The man sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small slip of paper. "Here's my business card. I doubt you'll call me, but it would be nice if we could get together for something other than sex." The man set the card on Reno's dresser and staggered out of the room, his steps thick and uncoordinated as he navigated through the dingy apartment.

Reno curled his knees to his chest and rocked back and forth as he watched the man leave. It always happened this way. No matter how much alcohol he forced into his system, he always sobered up and pushed his conquests out of bed. He would try to continue sometimes, but he'd found that it wasn't any use. Once he sobered up he stayed sober, his hungover brain flashing pictures of Tseng across his mind's eye and letting him know just how not Tseng his unwitting partner was. That always sapped any sexual energy he had and depressed him enough to make him consider pulling out the nine millimeter he kept in his bedside table and turning it on himself. He ran his hands through his hair and shed some tears for his best friend. They were old tears and they tasted stagnant and stale when they reached his lips, but he cried them anyways. It had been over five years since he had seen Tseng last, in fact it had been exactly five years and seven days since he had seen Tseng. A week ago he had visited his mother's grave to pay some homage to her memory before going out and getting so wasted he couldn't see straight. He hadn't been able to perform that night either.

Reno had spent the first year away from Tseng in and out of foster homes, running from each one he was put in and trying to get to Shinra to find Tseng. He had been caught every time except for the last one as he had managed to get away from the home and stay low until they stopped looking for him. Unfortunately, he didn't stay low for long and they continued looking for him no matter where he went. Thankfully the only pictures of him they had were from when he was younger and didn't have the tattoos covering his scars. He had gotten the tattoos almost three years ago to serve as a reminder of what he had suffered the day he lost everything he held dear.

Reno laid down and curled in on himself, staring at the angry red numbers on his alarm clock with alcohol hazed and tear blurred eyes. His head was pounding now, the hangover setting in and the crying only aggravating his muddled senses. After the first year spent in and out of foster homes Reno had started hopping jobs. He worked in more places than he could name and so far as he knew there were some where he still worked as he hadn't had time to quit because of the suddenness of his forced departure. He was still being looked for after all the years spent out of foster care and even now, when he was twenty-one and legally allowed to take care of himself, he was being searched for. It wasn't hard to figure out why and he always knew when to run from his watchers. He had become a criminal, trying to put himself on Shinra's watch list while trying to keep from being caught. Reno knew that his only chance of finding out what had happened to Tseng was getting involved with the company that had practically bought him and since murder had put Tseng on their list, he felt that criminal activity would get him there as well. So far he didn't think it had worked. All he had seen were disgruntled cops that were sick of looking for him, none of the Shinra Soldiers had been sent for him yet. He was going to have to work harder if he wanted to get on Shinra's watch list.

Reno didn't enjoy criminal activity, his mother had taught him to be a good person and he felt like he was spitting on her grave when he broke the law, but he felt it was necessary. He wanted to see Tseng again, and if he couldn't see him he at least wanted to know what had happened to him after Shinra had dug their claws into him. He had heard stories, horror-filled stories, of what happened to the people taken to Shinra and if anything that terrible had happened to Tseng he would walk into the President's office and shoot the fat bastard himself.

Reno buried his head in his pillow and shoved his fingers in his ears, trying to drown out the ear splitting noises of honking cars and yelling people that echoed quietly through his window. He head was throbbing so hard he was fairly sure it would break in half, but he felt that he deserved the condition after what he had tried to do. Reno felt his stomach clench at the idea of some drunk pervert touching him where he wanted Tseng to touch him and nearly vomited, rushing to his bathroom as he dry-heaved in self-disgust. He began crying again, his body shaking with loud uncontrollable sobs as he seriously considered drowning himself in his toilet. The only reason he didn't actually go through with the suicide he wanted to commit was because he knew that he would never see Tseng again if he died. He wanted to see Tseng with all his heart and if he didn't soon he was sure he would die from self-neglect. He was fairly sure if had been several days since he had eaten last, the fact that nothing was coming out of his throat as he retched reminding him of the grumbling in his stomach. He ignored it though, leaning against his sink as he tried to block out the many protests from his body. He hadn't eaten in days and hadn't had anything to drink in the past day that wasn't alcohol. His head throbbed and his limbs twitched as if to strangle him for the abuse.

Reno pulled himself back to his feet after awhile, shoving his head under the tap in his tub and running stinging cold water over his alcohol drenched face. He shivered before stopping up the bottom of the tub and pulling his body over the edge of it, letting the cold water snap him back to his senses as it swallowed his pale form. Reno turned the water off before it flowed over the edge of the tub and sat in the frigid water until the tips of his fingers and toes began turning blue, his feverishly throbbing head enjoying the immersion. He washed carefully, intent on getting the feel and scent of the other man off of him. He didn't bother to dry off after draining the tub, walking back to his room and leaving large wet puddles on his unkempt floor. He grabbed some clothes and pulled them on, not caring if they matched or were clean.

Reno strode out of his apartment with his hands stuffed in his pockets, a nine millimeter riding in one of them. It was stupid to walk around Midgar unprotected, especially if you had criminal intentions. Reno's head was still pounding, but he was able to walk a straight line despite the dangerous levels of alcohol in his system. He knew exactly where he was going, the business card had had an address stamped onto it. The fuck-hungry pervert had probably expected Reno to visit at some point. Reno shuddered at the thought as he easily navigated the somewhat deserted sidewalks, ignoring the invitations of prostitutes and drunken men. He sped up when he caught sight of the office the man worked for or owned, Reno didn't know or care which as he didn't differentiate between his victims.

Reno smashed the glass window in the front of the building easily, not caring about the blood that flowed in thick red lines down his hand or the sickening snap that accompanied the loud crash. He climbed into the building, somewhat concerned about the lack of an alarm, but he didn't care enough to give it much thought. He let the security camera in the corner get a good look of his face, giving it a bloody salute before moving to the nearest desk and rummaging through it. It was amazing what some people left in their desks after work. Reno had gotten his gun from a desk and most of his clothing. He found a few dollars and some gum inside the first desk and he pocketed the money. He didn't find much of value in the rest of the desks, most of what he took was money. He found a bottle of rum inside one of the desks and laughed aloud as he sat down and began drinking it, the extra alcohol taking the edge off his hangover.

Reno didn't realize how much blood he lost until he tried to stand back up as he heard the crunch of tires in the distance, his legs crumbling beneath him and spilling him onto the floor. He tried to pick himself up as he heard footsteps rush to the broken window, but he couldn't manage to. Days of self-neglect and abuse had sapped him of his strength and his head swam as he tried to crawl under a desk to hide, knowing how futile his attempt was as he was already smearing blood all over the floor. He didn't want to go to prison, no matter how much punishment he thought he deserved he didn't want to go to prison. When his head stopped spinning enough for him to realize there were no flashing lights that were complimentary of police officers he felt his heart leap in his chest hopefully. He tried to fumble for his gun, but he knew he couldn't shoot it, his gun hand was bleeding furiously and he could tell a few of the bones were broken as he couldn't even wrap the hand around the handle. He felt it probably served him right for being so out of his mind that he couldn't even feel the bones snap, but at the moment he wasn't concerned about what he did or didn't deserve, he was concerned about staying out of prison and staying alive. He knew he had a lot of enemies in the underbelly of the plate and the chances of them following him to the building were high as he had just managed to piss them off beyond reason earlier that day. He stiffened as he heard bodies clamber through the broken window, boots crunching on glass as they landed on the broken shards. Reno tried to still his breathing and slow the beating of his heart, but he knew he would be found eventually no matter what he did. There was a trail of upturned desk drawers and blood leading straight to him.

* * *

Tseng watched the entire scene with a slightly sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, noting Reno's attempts to hide himself under a desk with pity. The security camera blurred his best friends face horribly and he wished he could whack the monitor into compliance without getting a strange look from Veld. He could see thin red lines under Reno's eyes and hoped to Gaia that the scars were tattooed over instead of being that ridiculously prominent, rubbing his own tattooed over scar absentmindedly as he thought about it. "Are you sure you want him here?" Veld's voice made him lower his hand and lace it with the one that was settled against his back.

Tseng nodded, his eyes fixed on the monitor as Reno was forcibly dragged to his feet and cuffed by Shinra operatives that peeled a gun from his bloody hand, noting their lack of concern for his self-induced injury with distaste. "Of course I want him here."

"You want him to become a murderer, thief, and spy?" Veld's voice held a note of curiosity in it as he questioned Tseng, unsure of his partners motives. He had separated the two friends and now he was simply a spectator as Tseng tried to reunite them. He hadn't interfered thus far, but he had a desire to as Reno lashed out at his employees and almost succeeded in his attempts to escape. The fact that Reno was able to give two Turks trouble even when he was injured and obviously malnourished intrigued Veld, but he wouldn't admit his interest to Tseng.

"He's already halfway there." Tseng snorted, his voice stoic and steady as he watched Reno struggle as he was pulled out of the smashed window.

* * *

Reno groaned and tried to sit up, his bound hands making the action difficult. "Where the hell are ya takin' me?" He slurred drunkenly, his voice somewhat muffled by the seat cushion his face was shoved into.

The men who had captured him didn't answer, starting the car and driving away without a word. Reno managed to reposition himself by kicking out with his legs and using them to pull his body upright. He leaned back against the seat and tried to slip his hands out of the cuffs that held them behind his back. He used the blood on his hand as a lubricant and almost had one hand out when a gun barrel was pointed between his eyes. He blinked once and stopped his struggling with a gulp as he noted that it was _his_ gun being pointed at him.

Reno stayed silent and immobile for the rest of the drive even after the gun was pulled away from his face. Once the men stopped the car he had even more reason to stay quiet when he saw that they had stopped at the Shinra building. Reno felt triumph permeate his fear as he was led up to the building by his silent escorts.

* * *

Tseng turned to Veld as they received word that the 'renegade criminal' was waiting for questioning in their holding tank. "Are you ready?"

Veld straightened the cuffs of his suit and threw Tseng a calculating look. "I don't think you should be the one to question him Tseng."

Tseng stiffened noticeably, his giddy mood completely squashed by uncharacteristic anger. He misread Veld's comment as another attempt to keep him from his best friend and bristled. "Why is that? Do you think I am incapable of doing my job Veld?"

Veld cleared his throat and backtracked, not expecting Tseng to take offense to the comment. "Of course I don't, I know firsthand how capable you are. I just thought it would be easier for him to answers if you weren't there to..._distract_ him."

Tseng's eyes narrowed but he was able to see the sense his partner and superior spoke. "I will watch from behind the two way mirror then. Be civil to him. If you lay a hand on him it will be removed and that goes for anyone who has contact with him, understood?"

Veld chuckled and patted Tseng on the shoulder reassuringly. "We will take great pains to make sure he is comfortably restrained." Veld walked from the room with Tseng in tow, the dark haired man behind him lost in his own thoughts.

Tseng quickly checked his internal calendar that kept perfect count of all the days he and Reno had spent apart and even counted the hours. Since it was now past midnight it had been exactly five years, eight days, two hours, twenty-seven minutes, and forty-eight seconds since they had last spoken to each other. Tseng had seen him more than once, had seen him a week ago when he had gone to visit his mothers grave in fact, but he had never been able to show himself or talk to him. Reno had always been out of reach, but watched over. Tseng had watched him carefully even while he was being trained, following his progression through foster homes and helping Veld locate him when he dropped off of the Shinra radar. Reno had been harder to find than some of the most covert gangs living under the plate and had cost the Turks more time and effort to keep tabs on than any of their other potential recruits. It was only recently that Tseng had managed to make Veld sign the order for Reno to be brought in, but even after the order was signed it was hard to find him no matter how many Turks were assigned to watch him at all hours. For all that made Reno stand out he was able to slink out of sight easily.

Tseng was more nervous than he would ever admit, but he kept his tumultuous excitement to himself. He grabbed Veld by the shoulder before he entered the holding cell. "Veld, do you think he remembers me?"

Veld snorted and pushed Tseng's hand off his shoulder. "Of course he remembers you. The bastard has had nothing else to think about for the past five years! Why do you think he would forget you?"

Tseng shuffled his feet and inclined his head. "Just worried I guess." He opened the door to the observation room and stepped inside before he could embarrass himself further.

* * *

Reno slumped back against the chair his arms were cuffed to, trying to slip his bloody hand from the cuff again. The men had been smarter this time and had made the cuffs so tight that they were beginning to cut off circulation to his hands, something that was probably good when his still bleeding hand was taken into account. Reno frowned as he wiggled and strained to free his hand with minimal success, his wrist beginning to bleed as the cuff bit down on his skin. He jumped guiltily as the door opened and a dark suited and very recognizable man walked in, Reno's anger pushing to the surface and making him go momentarily blind with rage. "You!"

Veld paused, somewhat surprised that Reno recognized him after all the years it had been since he had seen him last. Veld had a new wrinkles and a long scar twisting along his cheek now, yet Reno still knew who he was. Veld recovered his composure and made sure to stay out of Reno's reach as he noticed that one of Reno's hands was already halfway out of the cuff. "Reno, I'm surprised you remember me. It's been years. We were never properly introduced actually, my name is Veld."

"Of course I remember you! You're the bastard that took my best friend away!" Reno began struggling harder, determined to free his hands and strangle the face that smiled at him kindly.

Veld chuckled and took a seat across from Reno, pressing his hands together and gazing at him over the steeple of fingers. His amusement enraged Reno and he could tell as the red-head continued to try and rip his broken hand out of the cuff, the bone snapping again with a sickening crack that he didn't seem to notice. "Unless you want to be sedated _again_ I suggest you settle down." He could practically hear Tseng screaming at him from behind the two way mirror but he ignored the nagging of his conscience.

Reno glared at him and shoved his hand back through the cuff, purposefully making the broken bones shift against each other with a sickening snick that made the dark suited man cringe. Reno grinned and made the noise again, the pain not bothering him in the slightest. "So what'd you do with Tseng ya bastard?"

"That's not important right now." Veld cringed visibly as the grating click of bone against bone echoed through the room. "Please stop that, its disgusting."

"Stop what?" Reno asked innocently, continuing to mangle his hand with a delighted smile as Veld grimaced and looked at his hand with disgust.

Veld did his best to ignore the sickening sounds Reno was making so that he could regain his composure. "Reno, I have a proposition for you."

Reno frowned and stopped his moving his now throbbing hand. "What the hell do you mean a proposition? Do you honestly think there's anything you could offer me that would make me agree to whatever the hell you want from me? It's not like you've got anything to threaten me with besides prison and I don't give a shit about getting locked up, I'll just break out." Reno snorted and rolled his eyes. "Take my life, its not like I've really got anything to live for anymore. My ma is gone and the only other person I ever gave a damn about is Gaia knows where and could be dead for all I know. I've got a shitty apartment full of broken and stolen things and I haven't had a single moment of happiness since you took Tseng from me. Why the hell would my life mean anything to me? It's not a good bargaining tool." Reno's face fell and he slumped down in his seat, his chin touching his chest as he watched blood flow from his hand where tiny pieces of bone could be seen poking through the skin. "You've got no leverage on me. I'd probably be better off if you killed me."

Veld felt his heart break for the man sitting across from him but he kept his face neutral and pleasant. "What if I told you everything I know about Tseng?"

Reno's response was immediate and animated. He sat up in his seat so fast air bubbles popped in his spine. His face lit up and his dead eyes sparkled with life. "He's alive!" Veld nodded and Reno began hyperventilating in his shocked joy. A few tears fell from his eyes and he squeezed them shut, the drops still flowing down his face as he struggled to keep a check on his loosed emotions. "Is he alright? Can I see him? Please Gaia tell me you're not lying!"

Veld watched Reno's reaction with mild amazement, surprised to find that the red-head was this emotional after one nod of his head. "I'm not lying, he is alive and if you agree to my proposition you can see him again."

"I'll agree to anything!" Reno shouted, his eyes flying open as he leaned forward and tried to pull his hands from the cuffs. His broken and mangled hand slipped loose easily and he gave a short scream as pain flooded his system for the first time since he had broken it. He ignored it as best as he could and tried to make his fumbling fingers undo the other cuff. "Let me loose! Let me see him! You've got you're yes dammit!"

Veld had seen some crazy people in his life, but he was fairly sure Reno was the most psychotic. The man had willfully broken his hand into bloody bits and was currently on his way to breaking the other one as he tried to rip it from the unforgiving metal restraint. He stood and pulled Reno's blood slicked hand to his side, doing his best to restrain him without hurting him further. "Calm down! I have to fill you in on the details of what you're agreeing to!"

Reno didn't calm down but he did stop struggling. "I already agreed! I don't care what I'm throwing myself into! Just let me see him!" He was so close to seeing Tseng he could taste it but Veld couldn't understand his frantic need. Reno had never wanted anything more in his life and it showed in his actions.

Veld gave a frustrated sigh. "You've agreed to work for the Shinra company as a Turk. You will be asked to kill, steal, spy, and obey every order given without question or complaint. You will have to go through the most stringent training ever thought of and will risk losing your life every time you set foot on something solid. Is that clear?"

Reno nodded vigorously. "I got it! I don't care! Just let me see him!"

Veld straightened and took a step back. "Stay here, I will send him in to see you."

Reno promptly began hyperventilating again but stayed still as Veld left the room. His entire body quivered with anticipation and only the throbbing pains of his hand let him know he wasn't dreaming.

* * *

Tseng watched the scene with a gaping mouth, his hands pressed against the glass to steady himself. He almost cried with relief when Reno made apparent his desire to see him. Tseng wanted to slap the red-head every time he twisted his shattered hand, knowing on instinct that that hand would never hold a gun again after what had been done to it. A gun was a Turk's best friend and closest companion, never leaving his side. Tseng knew he wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for his and if Reno wasn't able to use one he had no idea what would happen to him. There were other Turks who used less efficient weapons, but most of them ended up dying because of the sacrifice in precision. He pressed his bindi tattooed forehead to the glass and hoped that Reno would be able to compensate for the difference.

He backed away from the glass as Veld moved to fetch him, wiping dampness from his cheeks as he prepared to confront the man he had been forced to avoid for the past five years. He grabbed a first aid kit from one of the cabinets in the observation room that was normally used on injured questioners. Tseng was determined to stop the blood that was pouring out of Reno's shattered hand. Veld opened the door and nodded, the tension in the air deafening as Tseng pushed past him and stood swallowing nervously in front of the waiting room door. He gripped the knob and took a shaky breath before pushing it open.

* * *

Reno's breath caught in his throat as Tseng stepped through the door and his entire world seemed to stop spinning as he watched Tseng walk towards him, his every dream for the past five years made a reality. Tseng grabbed the chair Veld had been using and set it in front of him, sitting in it and grabbing his hand tenderly. His voice was irritated but kind, music to Reno's ears no matter what emotion was put behind it. "Why do you do this to yourself Reno?"

Reno swallowed and pulled his hand from Tseng's gentle grip, his voice thick with emotion. "Ts-Tseng?"

Tseng brought his eyes up to meet Reno's and was almost overwhelmed by a strong desire to simply grab him and kiss his brains out, almost overwhelmed. Had he not had stringent training in self control he probably would have. The tear that rolled down Reno's cheek nearly made him throw all his rules out the window as he brushed a thumb over the wet drop carefully. "Yes Reno?"

"You're not dead? You're alive? You've been alive this whole time?" Reno was still trying to process the fact that his best friend was sitting in front of him and wiping tears from his face with a calloused thumb. "How?"

Tseng's lips twitched into a smile and he took Reno's bloody hand in his own, resuming the first aid care he had planned to administer. "I never died Reno. I just wasn't allowed to make contact with you. They felt it would interfere with my training to have contact with you. They were probably right, had I been able to talk to you I probably would have thrown my training to the wind and run as far as I could with you in tow."

Reno leaned forward and pressed his forehead into Tseng's shoulder, inhaling the sharp scent he had been desperately trying to remember for five years. "I missed you so much Tseng."

Tseng swallowed hard, pushing the lump in his throat back down to his stomach. "I know you did Reno. I missed you too."

Reno watched from his perch on Tseng's shoulder as his hand was carefully wrapped, the bones not shifting once under Tseng's gentle hands. "I kinda did a number on myself didn't I?"

Tseng chuckled and finished taping down the thickly layered gauze that covered Reno's hand. "That's an understatement. You haven't been taking care of yourself at all, have you?" Tseng had noticed Reno's paleness immediately, along with his extreme lack of body fat, the surplus of dark rings under his eyes, and the unkempt hair that reached all the way to his hips. He knew all the signs of a poorly cared for person, having been one himself not long ago. He vowed at that moment to nurse Reno back to health no matter how long it took.

"No. I didn't see a reason to." Reno shrugged, knowing his excuse was rather pathetic. He leaned back in his chair and rattled his chained hand loudly. "Can you let me loose Tsengy? I wanna give you the biggest hug you have ever got."

Tseng blushed hard and looked over his shoulder at the two way mirror where he knew Veld was watching and listening. "I don't have the key, Veld does. I'll have to go ask." He got up to leave but Reno lunged for him with his broken hand, grasping at the front of his shirt even though his fingers didn't work right.

Reno winced and gave a whimper as pain lanced through his arm, his entire body seeming weak and fragile now that he was allowing himself to feel it. "Don't go! I don't care if I'm still locked up just don't leave again!"

"I won't." Tseng sat back down, holding Reno's broken hand between his own. He gulped and brought his eyes up to meet Reno's, noting the fear and worry that was radiating from him. "Just so you know Reno, everything you do from now on will be judged. You've always been watched by Shinra, but now you're going to be scrutinized beyond imagination. You will not have a single day where there's not someone near you who will be forced to truthfully recount your actions to someone of a higher rank, not even me. If you don't follow orders they will shoot you. There are no second chances." Tseng clenched his eyes shut at the vivid mental image of Reno lying prostrate on the floor, blood flowing from multiple gunshot wounds. "For the love of Gaia Reno please just do as you're told, even if it hurts someone."

"No matter what the consequences are I will never do anything to hurt you." Reno leaned forward as Tseng looked at him intently, the dark eyes blinking with passionate confusion as he momentarily forgot that his intact hand was bound to the chair and couldn't move. He growled and rattled the chain angrily and shouted at the blank expanse of glass that Tseng had looked towards earlier, knowing from experience that the glass was two way. "Hey Veld! I know you can hear me! Come undo this godsdamned cuff!"

Tseng jumped at Reno's shouting and glared at the smirking red-head. "You do realize he's your boss now right? He could make life ridiculously difficult for you."

Reno winked and rattled on his chain again as he heard the doorknob turn. "Don't worry Tsengy, I know just how far to push my luck. I haven't been killed yet have I?"

Tseng frowned as Veld entered the room and tossed a set of keys onto the table with a good-natured huff. "Behave you two. Tseng, once you're done in here take him down to the infirmary so he can have that hand checked out."

Tseng nodded and Veld left the room, turning on the light in the observation room so that the two way glass was illuminated and anyone inside it would be visible. Tseng was glad the room was empty as he grabbed the keys and unlocked Reno's handcuff, tensing slightly as Reno lunged forward and wrapped him in a tight hug the second his hand was freed. The keys dropped to the floor as Tseng held Reno just as fiercely, his earlier restraint forgotten as he cradled his good-as-dead friend in his arms. "Reno, did you mean it when you said you wouldn't do anything that would hurt me no matter what the consequences?" Reno nodded into Tseng's shoulder and he continued. "I don't want you to do anything to try and protect me Reno. In this company if they know you have a close friend they will use them against you to make you do what they want and if you have to be punished they will go after your loved ones first. That's why Veld's wife and daughter are gone. He was careless during a mission and they paid the price."

Reno stiffened at Tseng's words, the fingers of his good hand curling into the back of Tseng's jacket. "Tseng, I don't care what they do to me, but they're not hurting you no matter what. I lost you once, I'm not going through that again."

Tseng sighed and pulled away from Reno, his body aching from the loss of heat. "Fine, I know better than to try and talk you out of anything." He stood and offered Reno his hand. "Lets go fix you up."

Reno smiled and stood, greedily accepting Tseng's hand in his own. "A little tape and glue and I should be good as new, right?"

"Of course not, you're going to need some surgery on that hand if you ever want it to work again." Tseng smiled as he pushed open the door, his heart feeling light as air now that he had his best friend keeping step beside him.

Reno gave a dramatic sigh and pouted comically. "Can't we just slap a band-aid on it and call it a day?"

Tseng chuckled as he led Reno down the whitewashed halls. "I don't think that will work Reno."

Reno's grinned widened before it fell, seriousness coloring his voice. "You'll be there the whole time right?"

Tseng stopped and quickly scanned the hall for people before turning to Reno and pulling him into a tender hug. "Of course I will be."

Reno sagged into Tseng's arms and inhaled deeply, loving the distinctive scent of his favorite person in the world. Guilt swamped his shoulders as he remembered what he had tried to do just hours ago, his mind still sick with disgust at the thought. "Tseng, when you said Shinra has always been watching me, did you include yourself in that?" Tseng nodded and Reno exhaled before continuing. "That means you know about everything I've done, right?"

Tseng frowned and pulled away from Reno, holding him close as he peered down into shame-filled blue orbs. "I know everything you have done in the past five years Reno. I know about the drugs, the pre-legal alcohol binges, the after legal alcohol binges, the theft, and all the meaningless one night stands. Not one bit of that bothers me."

Reno swallowed hard and refused to meet Tseng's eyes, staring at his blood-splattered shoes instead. "I was never able to do anything with the one nights stands. I always stopped halfway through and kicked them out. I never even kissed any of them."

Tseng felt his already lightened heart begin to soar at Reno's confession. "You never did anything?"

"No. I tried to, but I always sobered up and thought of you before things got serious." Reno blushed, embarrassed at how stupid he sounded in his own mind.

Tseng grinned and grabbed Reno by the chin, tilting the red face up to his own. "I haven't kissed anyone since you either. Not once."

Reno felt guilt wash off his shoulders at Tseng's words, his face breaking out in a happy smile as Tseng looked down at him happily. He frowned as he realized that he had to tilt his head up to look Tseng in the eye. "When did you get taller than me?"

"About year three." Tseng chuckled and planted a small kiss on Reno's cheek before taking his hand again and leading him down the hall, the blood flowing from Reno's hand starting to seep through the carefully wrapped bandage.

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Author's Note: YAY! REUNITED AND IT FEEEEEEEEEELS SO GOOD! :D**

**Anyone else excited about this happy turn of events?**


	6. Chapter 6

Reno panted as he ran, his breath fogging over his goggles. He didn't mind that though, his goggles were slowly sinking down over his nose and he was seconds away from ripping them off altogether, but he knew Tseng would probably tan his hide if he did, not that he would mind that either. A small crackle passed through the small radio receiver attached to his ear. _"Hurry it up Reno! You're never going to set that record if you run like __**that**_." Tseng's voice was heavy with amusement even through the static and Reno smiled as he ran faster, his legs burning after hours of the activity. He grabbed onto the climbing wall in front of him and scaled it quickly, his hands and feet barely touching the holds before they were removed again. Reno loved the obstacle courses the Turks had to go through. The strenuous exercise made his heart pound and limbs ache, but he loved it because the entire time Tseng was in his ear making comments, whether those comments be encouraging or joking Reno loved them. _"Reno you realize Rodney is about three minutes away from completely kicking your ass in this course, right?" _Reno hated the other recruit. Rodney had been picked up by Veld just a month before Reno and he was the most annoying and self-centered person Reno had ever met. Reno supposed that he could potentially become friends with Rodney, they had a lot in common, but it was _what_ they had in common that bothered him. Every chance he got Rodney would talk to Tseng, pester him, or try and touch him. Reno didn't mind the talking or the pestering, everyone pestered Tseng. It was the _touching_ that set him off. Every time Rodney so much as looked at Tseng Reno was mere seconds away from ripping his head off, which he tried to do on a regular basis when they trained together. EMR's really didn't work well for decapitation though and Rodney's head still remained intact and on his shoulders, much to Reno's chagrin. Reno increased his speed at Tseng's urging and soon caught sight of Rodney's back. He smirked and sprinted for it as fast as he could, determined to beat the brunette no matter what he had to do.

The good thing about Turks, in Reno's opinion at least, was that no one cared if they got their ass kicked by a fellow Turk, or at least they weren't _supposed_ to care. They were supposed to feel happy, or at least pretend to feel happy, and applaud the person strong enough or fast enough to beat them. The other good thing was that in any and every exercise that involved competition they were allowed to kick the crap out of each other, something Reno really and truly loved especially as he grabbed the back of Rodney's shirt and pulled, throwing the pesky brunette's troublesome body onto the ground. Rodney yelped with surprise, obviously unprepared for Reno's attack and Reno grinned even wider as he clambered up yet another climbing wall. He and Rodney were evenly matched, neither one having the clear upper hand in their fights or races, but Reno always managed to make an advantage for himself even if he didn't have one. After both of them had healed from their 'recruiting injuries' as they were so nicely dubbed; almost everyone broke at least one bone during their recruiting and if they didn't there was a larger injury somewhere else to compensate for the lack of skeletal abuse; they had begun competing against each other in everything, both seeing the other as a very really threat standing between them and Tseng. Reno really didn't need to worry as Tseng was his and his alone, but he wanted it known that he was more than willing to fight to keep his publicly unmarked territory under his command. It had been hard for Reno to deal with the fact that someone else wanted his Tseng and that he wasn't able to tell that someone else straight to their face that a hand laid on Tseng was a hand removed, but he was more than understanding of the rules Tseng set when he knew their purpose.

Anyone caught in an inter-employee relationship was reprimanded and usually demoted as well even though everyone seemed to have inter-employee relationships; it was impossible to work with people for twelve hours a day or more and stay completely emotionless towards them like President Shinra wanted. Reno could tell who was with who just by watching during the few small minutes of free time they received. He knew that Rude was with Cissnei, no matter how little sense that made to anyone and everyone as Cissnei was simply the most bubbly and energetic person anyone had ever met while Rude was the exact opposite, and that no one else had eyes for his Tseng except Rodney. Everyone else was scared shitless of his dark-haired angel, something that amused Reno so much he often had trouble keeping the laughter that bubbled in his chest when Cissnei or Samantha cowered while they were given orders or reprimanded by his stoic companion. Tseng didn't seem to like the fact that Reno completely tread on all the rules of respect and hierarchy that were set up in the Turks, but Veld seemed to enjoy his recklessness.

Reno whooped loudly as he passed the finish line that marked the end of the obstacle course, Tseng's amused smile the only signal he needed to know that he had done well. He slumped onto the ground next to Tseng's legs and leaned against them, his lungs desperately pulling in the copious amounts of air they had been denied while he was running and jumping and climbing and Gaia only knew what to call some of the things the obstacle course forced his body to do. Tseng rolled his eyes as Reno beamed up at him from his spot on the ground, pulling Reno's goggles off his eyes and plucking the receiver from his ear. "Rodney was ahead of you up until the very end."

Reno knew Tseng was asking just what had happened that had allowed him to win the race; Tseng was only able to know their times because of the computer chips in the receivers that sent information on the vitals and distance from the finishing point of the person wearing the ear-piece. Reno chuckled as best as he could, his starving lungs still greedily sucking in air. "I knocked him flat on his ass. You shoulda seen it! You woulda been proud Tsengy."

Tseng chuckled, a sound that only Reno was able to hear on a regular basis, and scanned the computer that was sitting on his lap. Tseng was in charge of all the training the new Turk recruits received since he was second in command, a position he didn't know how he had obtained. He took pride in the accomplishment though, knowing that promotions weren't handed out to just anyone in the Shinra company. No matter how upset he had been about being forced to work for Shinra, he had done everything in his power to make sure he succeeded in the company, his only thought being that the more power he obtained the more capable he would be of finding Reno. He had been proven right in his way of thinking when Reno had been carted in that morning, his body battered and bloody, but very very Reno as it sat and dripped all over one of Veld's favorite chairs.

At first Tseng had been scared out of his wits, unsure of what to do now that he had Reno back again. His first thoughts had of course been to cradle him to his chest and make the hurt go away, but after Reno had started feeling better he had begun to worry. He knew that they wouldn't be able to keep their closer than friend relationship secret for long, even though they never did anything in public or even in private it was almost painfully obvious to Tseng's eyes that they were intoxicated with each other. Only Veld knew their full story, but the Turk commander kept the details to himself as he didn't want to see either of them put on the list of people that President Shinra decided to keep an uncomfortably close eye on. Rude and Cissnei were already in that department and so long as neither of them screwed up or slacked in their duties they were fine, but once there was the slightest mistake made one of them would be removed from the company and Tseng was fairly sure it wouldn't be Rude. President Shinra had something against women, having had his own wife murdered by the very Turks he employed after she had given him an heir.

Tseng didn't know which one of them would be declared a waste of funds once Shinra found out, but he was fairly sure that it wouldn't be him; he had already proven his worth time and time again. Reno, however, was new and his worth was untried and untested. The only reason Rude and Cissnei had gotten away with their relationship for so long was because they had both saved the President's life at one time or another. Until Reno showed that he could be trusted and not screw up he was in constant danger of being called to the President's office and shot. That could be said of any Turk, but for the brand new recruits it was always far more likely. Tseng remembered very clearly the first time he and the other recruits he had been trained with were summoned to the President's office. The other two had been casually shot and Tseng had been able to do nothing but stand dumbfounded as people he had begun to call friends collapsed onto the floor in front of him, completely lifeless. After that the President had stowed his gun and offered a very stunned Tseng his hand with choice words that gave Tseng nightmares for weeks. _"Welcome to Shinra."_

Now, however, was not the time for Tseng to worry about that, not when Reno was panting and slumped against his legs in a very Reno-like fashion. Tseng had to resist the urge to ruffle the sweaty red-hair that was fanned across his leg, Reno's pony-tail holder lost somewhere in the obstacle course. Reno smirked and tilted his head back over Tseng's knee. "Do you think I hurt him? He shouldn't be this far behind me. How long has it been now eh? Five, ten minutes?"

"Not even four." Tseng chuckled again and Reno took note of it, keeping a mental tally of how often he was able to pull the sound from Tseng's lips. So far he had made Tseng chuckle five times, something that was a bit of a record for him since no matter what he tried Tseng was determined to stay professional and stoic during their hours at work. Tseng's determination didn't keep Reno from trying though and he cracked as many jokes as he could to try and tweak the corners of Tseng's lips even a little. Footsteps pounded up the rough path towards them and Reno pouted sullenly, his now mako tuned ears picking up the very faint noise. "Rodney's almost done." Every Turk was given a low level dosage of mako when they started their training. The dose wasn't enough to give them Soldier eyes, but it was enough to enhance their senses and physical prowess. Without the small amount of mako in his system Reno probably would have passed out after the first run they took through the course. Now after run four he only felt like he had run it once.

"You don't like Rodney, do you?" It wasn't necessary for Tseng to ask the question, he knew Reno hated Rodney as anyone who had eyes could see the utter loathing Reno radiated towards Rodney and Rodney alone. Reno didn't even show Veld the same amount of hatred he showed Rodney which was saying something because Reno claimed that he hated Veld more than he had hated his own father.

Reno frowned and launched into a quiet rant, his eyes darting down the path that echoed faintly with Rodney's footsteps. He could tell Rodney was walking now and he was pleased with the idea that he had hurt the man enough to make him limp the way his footsteps suggested he did. "I hate the bastard! Every chance he gets he tries to make a move on you! Nobody gets to make a move on you! You're _my_ Tsengy-poo and no one else's! Why can't we tell people again?"

Tseng laughed aloud this time and Reno's dark mood lifted instantly, his body twisting as he turned to watch Tseng succumb to mirth. "Because I don't want to get shot Reno."

Reno beamed, still happy despite the moroseness of the topic they had broached. He continued to listen to Rodney's thunking footsteps that were gradually, very gradually, coming closer. "Why the hell would we get shot for being together?" Reno assumed that he and Tseng were still just barely out of Rodney's hearing range and hoped his assumption wouldn't make an ass out of him.

"We would get shot because us being together is against the rules. Besides, it wouldn't be _we_ that got shot, only one of us would get physically punished." Tseng pursed his lips as he watched the tiny dot on his screen that was Rodney get closer and closer. "Either he's stalling or he's actually hurt."

"Probably a mixture of both." Reno shrugged and pushed himself to his feet, his limbs slightly shaky from the ridiculous amounts of exercise he had done that day. He reckoned that Tseng had changed the subject because Rodney was now close enough to hear them. The slightest hint of an eavesdropping person, no matter how small, always made Tseng switch topics and get professional again.

Tseng pursed his lips at the screen, his dark eyes flipping between Reno and Rodney's pixel. "Tell me again how you passed him?"

Reno shuffled his feet nervously, knowing that he was in actual trouble now. Tseng's beautifully dark eyes were flashing dangerously and he knew from experience that that meant trouble. "I grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him down."

Tseng sighed heavily and clicked the lid of the laptop shut. "He keeps his EMR in his back pocket while he runs, he probably landed on it and it probably discharged right into his ass."

Reno couldn't help the maliciously mirthful snort that launched his head forward and pressed his eyes closed, the vivid mental image of Rodney getting an ass-full of electrical wattage far too funny for him to keep a straight face. Tseng frowned at him disapprovingly as they started down the path to help their fallen comrade. No matter how much Reno wanted to leave Rodney behind, a Turk's first priority was to take care of the other Turks; at least so long as the President wasn't around.

They found Rodney leaning against one of the climbing walls, singed and smoking slightly. Tseng sighed and swept one of Rodney's lightly twitching arms over his shoulder, pulling the electrocuted Turk to his side and carting him down the path. He caught the rather disgruntled look Reno gave him for the gesture, but he ignored it as best as he could even though he was fairly sure he could feel the residual heat from the angry glares Rodney's back was getting as they trudged up the path. Tseng knew Rodney meant well; no matter how much his advances annoyed him, but he hoped that Rodney would be the recruit removed during induction despite the sickening sensations he felt for wishing death upon someone who hadn't done anything wrong. Rodney didn't have the temperament to be a Turk though and Tseng was somewhat confused as to why Veld had brought the man in, but he knew his superior had his reasons and he didn't pry. He did give Rodney's head a rather unkind shove as it tried to rest wearily on his shoulder. No matter how bad he felt for the man he wasn't going to let anyone but Reno rest on that shoulder.

Reno could swear at Rodney in his mind all he wanted but it wouldn't change the fact that he was draped across Tseng's shoulder. Reno grinned evilly at the large burned hole in the back of Rodney's pants and wished desperately that training EMR's carried the full-charge of a regular EMR. He would have loved to see the Rodney that was draped over _his_ Tseng's shoulder with a fully charged EMR stuck up his rear. It was a beautiful sight to imagine, Rodney twitching and seizing on the ground while Reno grinned maniacally with a very disturbed and somewhat confused Tseng in his arms. Yes, Reno's daydreams were very, very pleasant.

Tseng laid Rodney in the back of the chopper and rolled his eyes when the brunette passed out, the pain finally forcing his consciousness to the wayside. Tseng would have thought that after all the time Reno spent shocking Rodney he would have gotten used to the sensation by now, but apparently Tseng had thought wrong. He frowned at Reno disapprovingly as the far too chipper red-head clambered into the passenger seat, bouncing with anticipation as he waited for Tseng to start the chopper. Tseng couldn't help the small smile that turned the corners of his lips though, Reno's childlike bliss reminding him of the first time they had launched the rocket together. Even though the thing had practically shattered with the force of the explosion Reno had wanted to try again immediately, bouncing on his bed in much the same fashion he was bouncing in now while Tseng had picked up the pieces and tried to put out the small fire that had started on his sleeve.

The thoughts of that simple fire aroused memories that were best left forgotten for Tseng, horrifying memories of very hot cigarettes pressing down into his arms and pouring the fresh scent of nicotine and burnt flesh into his nostrils. Tseng's parents had eventually paid dearly for all their crimes against him, Veld had helped him take care of them personally.

About fifteen months after Tseng had been sold to Shinra Tseng's parents realized what they had done and decided they wanted him sent back to live with them, a demand that both Tseng and Shinra refused to give an affirmative answer to. When Tseng's parents had started to get more persistent Tseng's performance had started to suffer. One night Veld had come to the bunk where Tseng feigned sleep and cried in fear and worry. The older man knew exactly what Tseng had gone through due to the nights the teen had spent crying on his shoulder after terrifying nightmares that depicted murderous parents ripping Reno limb from limb while Reno continued to try and plant a feel-better kiss on torn flesh. Veld had pressed the gun into Tseng's still awake fingers before pulling him from the bed with a quietly commanding speech. _"Either you turn that gun on yourself or you turn it on your parents because there is not any force on heaven or Earth that will get you away from Shinra or your parents except death. If you die they leave Shinra alone and everything goes back to normal, except for the fact that you're very very dead and any chance you have of ever seeing Reno again is completely thrown out the window. If you turn the gun on them you get someof that revenge you want for the years of torture they put you through, and Shinra is left alone and everything goes back to normal. I suggest you decide before the President does because in his mind it's easier to cover up one death than it is to cover up two."_ Tseng had simply stared at Veld in dumbfounded silence, a nod the only answer he was able to give. Veld had smiled kindly and clapped Tseng on the shoulder as he lead the teen out of the building and drove him back to his old house with the inconspicuous outside.

Reno couldn't help the pleasure that coursed through his veins as Tseng prepared to fly them back to Shinra, their Junon obstacle course officially exhausted for the day now that one of them was in the backseat smoldering. Reno knew the next time they came here the obstacle course would be completely different, but he didn't much care. What he was most worried about at that particular moment was the sweeping blades of the helicopter as the engine roared to life and the aircraft was coaxed into the air by Tseng's capable hands, Reno's stomach swooping down to his toes as the chopper lifted. Reno loved flying, it was his favorite thing about being a Turk; outside of all the other things he loved about being a Turk like Tseng's undivided attention when he purposefully screwed up or did something good.

Tseng couldn't hide the pleasant grin that lit up his face at Reno's enthusiasm, his anger at the red-head dissipating like it was never there when a tiny giggle burst from the bouncing man's throat. The fact that he was absolutely no actual help as a pilot notwithstanding, Tseng absolutely loved it when Reno was his co-pilot. Every smile that cracked Reno's face almost in half made Tseng want to lower the chopper even less. He was fairly glad Rodney had passed out now; he would have had to restrain the large grin that crossed his normally stoic features had the man been awake to observe their behavior. Tseng had taken every precaution he could think of to try and keep anyone but Veld from finding out about his rather unprofessional extracurricular relationship with Reno. It wasn't like they were sleeping together; Tseng wanted to save that for a special occasion, namely Reno's induction night, but the fact that they spent most of their time in Tseng's apartment touching in some way would probably not be looked on with any kind of favorability by the powers that controlled in the Shinra Company.

Unbeknownst to the two smiling men in the front of the helicopter, Rodney opened his eyes a fraction. He felt he must've done a good job acting if he had been able to fool Tseng into believing he had passed out from his meager injuries, but as he opened his eyes he realized that Tseng had simply been distracted by his red-headed rival; who happened to be prattling away like mad again while Tseng simply smiled and tried to keep the helicopter in the air. Rodney fought the urge to growl as Tseng chuckled, a sound that was musical and envy invoking. Rodney carefully observed his two companions, noting their every action as they traveled back to Midgar.

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Author's Note: Ohmigosh! There's a spy in the backseat! :O You can either hate me now or hate me later, but you will eventually hate me for this story. I can promise you that. I know for a fact that Sonya and Savannah will have their whacking shovels out by the time this story is over. If anyone else would like to join in on their 'beat-up-evil-mean-Vietta' fun; feel free. I like the pain :D

**Forgive me for the OC's that are Rodney and Samantha, I just wanted extra Turks to do evil things to/with. **

**As for this chapter, I'd like to have it known that I started writing it at 5:30 in the morning and then had a fifteen hour period where I didn't work on it at all, and then I finished and proofread it at about 1 in the morning. Technically its Wednesday now and I started this yesterday morning, but since I haven't gone to bed yet I simply consider this a chapter that took a day to write. Any grammatical errors you find are purely my fault or dialogue based and I apologize and blame my unnoticed tiredness.**


	7. Chapter 7

Tseng sipped at the lukewarm coffee cradled gently in his hand as he leaned against the wall, one leg propped against it to steady himself. He was staring blankly around the hallway in front of him, not really seeing anything as his mind wreaked havoc on his fraying nerves. The past few days had been utter hell. He had been forcing as much information into Reno and Rodney as he could yet he wasn't sure it would be enough. At the moment Reno was testing in the room directly in front of Tseng, his fluffy red head just barely visible through a small window set into the door. Tseng remembered taking the test himself years ago with anything but relish. The written test was five times harder than the physical test could ever be. He shuddered as he remembered the painfully silent room and the torturously thick stacks of questions he had had to answer in detail, his hand cramping and burning after only a few. From what he could tell Reno was coping well, the top of his shaggy red head bobbing in time to a song that was being whistled out the doorway. Tseng had warned Reno that the worst part of the test would be the silence, but it seemed that Reno had found a way around the quiet. He had started whistling some rather elaborate and very made-up tunes about five minutes into the test and now, three hours later, he was still whistling like a fool. The cheerful and distracting noise echoed out of the room and into the hall and let the corner of Tseng's lips twitch upwards in a smile. When he had taken the test he hadn't even thought of creating his own noise to fight off the pressing silence, but Reno seemed to be far more relaxed about the test than he was. It had always been that way though. Tseng would get stressed and worked up over things that Reno would shrug off and treat as insignificant. Reno's apparent lack of care didn't fool Tseng though; he knew deep down that Reno was always just as afraid of failure as he was.

Tseng shifted slightly against the rather uncomfortably hard wall, determined to keep his vigil near the door unobtrusive. He had been standing near the testing area all day and he planned to do the same thing tomorrow when Rodney took the test. So far as he knew it was tradition for the instructor to watch while the pupils took the test; Veld had watched him and his now dead comrades and he felt he owed Reno and Rodney the same kindness. This test determined whether or not a Turk trainee would live or die, not that the test takers knew that for sure, and failing was not an option. Of course, dying was always somewhere in the mind of a Turk. At a moment's notice any of them could be killed without reason, but that was simply a background worry for Tseng on most days. Now that Reno was getting closer and closer to standing in front of President Shinra, and consequently, President Shinra's gun, Tseng was simply a nervous wreck. No one noticed besides Reno though. As far as everyone else knew Tseng was just as stoic as ever. Reno knew though. Reno could see the apprehension in Tseng's eyes every time he looked at him and even though Tseng wished he could hide his fear from Reno, it was somewhat comforting to know that Reno knew. It meant he didn't have to hide.

Tseng's eyes flicked to the side as a rather obtrusive noise entered his domain before the door, the echoes of Rodney's boot covered feet demanding his attention. He stayed where he was, his back against the wall with one foot up to steady himself while he cradled his coffee, but he turned his eyes down the hall to watch as Rodney came into view. Rodney was a constant prick in Tseng's side. The man didn't do anything that annoyed him, but his presence alone bothered Tseng. It was because of Rodney that Reno stood even the slightest chance of not becoming a Turk, and Rodney was a chance Tseng did not wish to take. Tseng knew Rodney was strangely infatuated with him, which was not something he was unused to, people had been strangely infatuated with him since he had started training to be a Turk no matter how cold and aloof he was. Tseng would never understand it, but that was the way it was. Rodney walked towards him with a grim and unreadable face, the expression making Tseng feel the urge to take a more defensible position. He didn't follow his instinct though, instead keeping himself in front of the door, his lips capturing a few drops of coffee every now and again. Rodney's shoulders were tensed and his brow was lowered, both signs of anger that Tseng couldn't put a reason to. Tseng was fairly good at reading Rodney's emotions, the man was just as openly expressive as Reno was, but as Rodney walked towards him they both seemed confused about his motives. Rodney stopped beside Tseng, his fingers curling in and out of fists as he locked bloodshot eyes onto the dark orbs of his superior. Finally his hands decided to be fists and he crossed them in front of him, his eyes narrowing in distaste. "Why are you here?"

Tseng's voice held no emotion; just like the rest of him it was aloof and expressed nothing but boredom. "I am waiting for Reno to finish his test. I will be doing the same for you tomorrow. Why? Am I needed elsewhere?" Rodney shook his head slightly, his eyes still trying to bore through Tseng's. Tseng allowed the silence to stretch for a long while more, watching emotions flicker through Rodney's eyes as he felt his coffee cool in his hand. His lips twisted into a small frown as he waited for Rodney to say something, but when the brunette's lips stayed locked he sighed and broke the silence himself; taking a tip from the still whistling Reno. "Is there a problem Rodney?"

"Yes there is." Rodney frowned and set his hands by his sides, his fingernails cutting into his palms as he tried to contain and unreasonable anger.

Tseng waited for him to elaborate but had to prod further on his own to get a response. "Would you mind letting me know about this problem?"

Rodney responded immediately, knocking the coffee from Tseng's hand and spilling the thin brown liquid onto the floor. He took advantage of Tseng's moment of surprise and cranked the now coffee-less hand behind the Turk's back. Rodney pressed Tseng's front into the wall and captured his other hand, wrenching it up beside its fellow. Tseng didn't even bother to struggle, he didn't know how Rodney would react to being thrown on his ass for his insolence but he didn't want more animosity. His face stayed expressionless even as his arms were bent in a way they were never meant to. Tseng peered over his shoulder and locked his gaze onto Rodney's noting the anger and want in the man's eyes. His own eyes narrowed at the predatory lust and he wrestled back an angry growl as Rodney leaned forward to hiss angrily in his ear.

"I know Tseng! I know all about you and Reno and I can't stand it! Why the hell did you pick him, huh? What the hell is he to you? What makes him better than me?" Rodney's voice was full of anger and hurt even as his grip loosened slightly at Tseng's involuntary grunt of pain.

Tseng quickly ripped his hands from Rodney's and spun around. In only moments he had Rodney pressed into the floor with his nose bleeding and his arm only millimeters away from being wrenched out of its socket as he ground his knee into the brunette's back with a vicious growl. Rodney whimpered at the pain and Tseng restrained himself to keep his desire to cause permanent damage at bay. He had never wanted to hurt anyone so badly in his life, not since he had watched Reno's father slice thin red stripes under perfect blue eyes. Rodney gave a very audible gasp of pain and Tseng smirked at it, his anger getting the best of him as he gave Rodney's wrist a cruel twist. He leaned down and mirrored Rodney's angry hiss, his voice laced with malice. "No one, and I mean _no one_, gets to threaten me. I don't care what kind of information you think you have, until you have concrete evidence that Reno and I are in a relationship you keep your hands to yourself and your mouth shut. If you do anything to Reno that damages his chances of becoming a Turk I will not hesitate to shoot you, are we understood?"

Rodney smirked through the blood pouring down his face, a malicious chuckle bubbling the fluid over his mouth sickeningly. "I have concrete evidence, don't you worry about that. I came to make a deal Tseng."

Tseng paled noticeably before he applied more forceful pressure to Rodney's arm, the pained whimper he evoked letting him feel more in control of the rapidly deteriorating situation. His composure was in shambles and it was very obvious that Rodney's words had touched a nerve that was better left undisturbed. Tseng quickly ran through his mind, scanning every public moment he had spent with Reno and checking it for any obvious signs of attachment from either side. It had always been apparent that Reno was attached to him, but so far as he could remember he had done a good job at not showing preference for either of his trainees. He frowned and glared at Rodney, his temper seething just below his skin and urging him to break the young man's arm. "What do you mean a deal?"

Rodney whimpered until Tseng's grip eased and his arm was dropped to a less painful angle. He didn't try to struggle though as Tseng was obviously more than willing to snap his arm in half. Rodney's pained pants blew small droplets of blood over the smooth linoleum beneath him as he tried to pick words that angered Tseng without sending the man into a blind fury that would cost him his arm. "I don't give a damn which one of us passes, whether or not I become a Turk is irrelevant to my interests at the moment. What I want from you Tseng is one evening of your time and presence. I know you've given Reno far more than that so I think I'm being very generous with my demands here." Rodney squeaked as his arm was given a painful squeeze.

Tseng could feel his face twitch as he resisted the overwhelming temptation to break Rodney like a toothpick. His entire body had tensed with rage and disgust at the suggestion Rodney has made; utter loathing flooding his veins as he realized just what it was Rodney wanted from him. He growled angrily and ground his knee deep into Rodney's back with a hiss. "You want to know why I chose Reno?" Rodney gave a mute nod, his face twisted up in pain as his nose turned a very unattractive shade of purple. "I chose Reno because he thinks with more than his dick."

Rodney chuckled darkly, the sound at discord with the cheerful whistles Reno was still pouring out into the hall. "I highly doubt that Tseng." Tseng twisted his arm a little more and Rodney's chuckles subsided. "So do we have a deal or not?"

Tseng grit his teeth together and breathed deeply through his nose, forcing his writhing emotions to quiet themselves. With every word Rodney spoke the desire to rip him to shreds increased and Tseng was beginning to have trouble denying his baser instincts. He closed his eyes while he kept his firm grip on Rodney's arm, thanking Gaia that there was no one in the hall to intrude upon their scandalous confrontation. He could feel passionate anger pour into his system as he realized that he was backed into a treacherous corner. If he didn't do what Rodney wanted the brunette would report them to Shinra and have them both killed, but if he did what Rodney wanted Reno would hate him forever. Tseng couldn't bear the thought of Reno hating him. The idea that his first, best, and only friend might someday come to hate him had always overwhelmed his senses with wild fear. However, if he didn't make Reno hate him then they both stood a very real chance of being killed. Tseng tried not to picture bullets ripping through Reno's oh so delicate flesh, but his mind conjured up the images before he could quell them. A lump rose in his throat and he choked it down, his grip on Rodney becoming slack as he tried desperately to untangle himself from the noose tightening around his neck. Tseng opened his eyes and glared down at Rodney's bleeding face, despair giving his anger fuel. He gave another deliciously malicious twist to Rodney's arm and gave a satisfied grunt at the tiny whimper that screwed up Rodney's face. "Do I even get time to think about this deal? You ask quite a lot of me."

Rodney tried very hard not to squirm under Tseng's painful treatment but failed when his arm received another wrench in the wrong direction. He conceded with a pain filled cry, his voice quietly echoing through the hall to mingle with the shrill whistles leaking out of the testing room. "Yes! You can have until tonight. If you don't show up by eight I'll consider our deal broken and turn you both in."

Tseng gave a frustrated growl. "That's not enough time! How am I supposed to make a decision like this in only a few hours?"

"You better figure it out if you want to live!" Rodney spat, his blood beginning to congeal on his face. "Besides, after tomorrow it won't matter. We get the final decision after I take my test and then we get called into Shinra's office for our date with death." Rodney smirked at the surprised look on Tseng's face, blood coloring his teeth crimson. "Rude let slip what happens after our tests. He figured it would be better for me to know than to go in unprepared and he figured that you would have told Reno already since Reno makes a point of visiting you every day."

Tseng growled and got off of Rodney, leaving the brunette to pick himself off of the floor with a pained wince. He settled himself back against the wall with one leg against it to steady himself, his stoic expression back in place. "Get the hell out of my sight." Rodney didn't hesitate to comply, holding his nose gingerly with one hand and backing away from his superior slowly. He made it a few feet down the hall in this manner before a fierce glare from Tseng turned him around and forced his legs to sprint. Tseng waited until Rodney's footsteps died away before sinking to the blood and coffee soaked floor with a hand over his eyes, near silent sobs desperately turning in the air to twine with Reno's bliss filled whistling. Tseng's mind seemed to blaze with one simple sentence. _'What am I going to tell Reno?'_

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Author's Note: :O Scandalous!

**You would have had this update sooner, but Tseng was being a bastard and didn't want to do what I told him to. Who can blame him though? I do horrible things to him in this story. **

**Soyna and Savannah; I know you've got your whacking shovels ready and I promise that I will give you reason to use them soon. ;)**

**Also, sorry for the shortness of this update but I've decided to draw the story out some more just to please my evil needs :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Reno's shoulders sagged as he walked out of the testing room, the spring in his step put there simply out of habit. His throat was parched and his lips were tired from excessive whistling, but he had done it. He had finished the damned test with time to spare and, as his painfully throbbing left hand was persistently reminding him, in great detail. He had answered every question as best he could; at times simply putting down a bulleted list of everything Tseng had told him he had to remember and at other times writing page long paragraphs. Reno felt he deserved an award for all his effort but he had to admit, not dying would probably work just as well as any trophy.

Reno's step faltered slightly as his foot met a slick surface, his purchase on the ground held only by sheer persistence. Had Reno been paying attention to his surroundings instead of whimpering at his twitching, aching hand he probably would have noticed that the floor was covered in coffee and blood. Thin red eyebrows raised in confusion as the eyes below them scanned the hall, stopping to rest on the very out of place looking Tseng sitting just outside of the coffee and blood mixture. Reno quickly took in Tseng's appearance and in moments he knew that something was wrong; as if the unpleasant fluids on the floor weren't indication enough. Tseng had his arms wrapped around his knees, his face buried in the crook of one elbow. His dark hair which was normally perfect in every respect was disheveled, small wisps jutting out at delicate angles from his head as the elastic holder threatened to come out altogether as if protesting its wearer's sudden lack of professionalism. It didn't take a genius to know that Tseng had been crying, a good thing since Reno was not a genius by any stretch of the imagination. His hunched back shook gently with residual sobs, his breathing uneven and hitched.

Reno crossed the lake of caffeinated blood without any care for how much it splashed when his foot intruded on its stagnant state. He knelt down beside Tseng, his hands immediately reaching out to cradle the distraught man in his arms. They were almost allowed to do so, but at the last moment Reno remembered where they were and used all the self-control he had in his system to simply rest one hand on top of the work hardened hand that covered Tseng's elbow. Reno felt the undeniable urge to wrap his hands around the soft face hidden from view and force the dark wet eyes to look at him and the fear of Tseng being hurt because of his lack of respect for the carefully laid rules was the only thing that stopped him.

Reno had only seen Tseng cry a few times and the sight always brought out the protective emotions he had always felt for the battered angel huddled in front of him. He knew that the blood on the ground didn't belong to Tseng, his angel didn't cry over his own thin fluids after seeing them spilt so many times. The coffee belonged to Tseng though, its color and scent a unique mix that only Tseng could make. Reno assumed that there were probably other people in the world who could mix a good cup of coffee, but those people didn't count when compared to the beautiful creature seated before him. Reno felt a small bubble of worry blossom in his chest when Tseng didn't stir at his touch, the smallest of things were always noticed by Tseng and the fact that he didn't acknowledge Reno's presence made the red-head's shoulders tense. A frightened whisper accompanied by a small shake broke through the suddenly thin air of the hall, blue eyes silently willing Tseng's head to lift so that he could see those tear dampened eyes and figure out what was wrong. "Tseng?"

Tseng curled in on himself tighter, his fear and worry reminding him of when he was a teenager huddled in Reno's arms after a particularly frightening episode with one of their now gone demons. For a moment Tseng felt the powerful urge to laugh, already having identified Rodney as a wolfish beast intent of ripping him limb from limb despite the fact that the man had been easily overpowered by Tseng's physical skill. He was surprised that it had taken him this many years to figure out that not all demons fought with the same kind of fire. He could hear Reno's desperate desire to see him unfurl from the small ball he was curled into in the worry filled voice brushing across his skin and he lifted his head and turned it to the side, his somewhat damp eyelashes sticking together and blurring his vision. It was obvious to him that Reno was having a hard time restraining himself, the tightly curled hand covering his own trembled with the effort it took to keep it from roaming. Tseng sniffed and found that he was having just as much trouble refraining from burying his head in the crook of Reno's neck like he had so many years ago after that first freedom filled kiss. The memory of that one kiss that had marked the end of their innocence like a tombstone brought him back to his senses with a head clearing jolt. He sat up and wiped his eyes on the backs of his hands roughly, dragging the tears from his eyelashes without ceremony. Tseng took one deep shuddering breath and looked at Reno; his head leaned back against the wall as he took in the dye covered scars that caressed Reno's cheekbones almost delicately, framing the blue eyes filled with worry and passion that gazed at him expectantly. A small smile took hold of his lips as he realized just how little he cared about Rodney breaking through their ruse anymore, the sight of Reno's loving gaze throwing light on just how hopeless their situation had been even before Rodney had uncovered them. Was it better for them to live in synchronized fear for a few years when they could spend at least one night in complete and utter freedom?

All thoughts of mentioning Rodney's deal to Reno vanished as he stood and dragged Reno to his feet, plans for a future falling like shackles around their feet. If he told Reno then Reno would try and kill Rodney. If Reno killed Rodney then Shinra would kill Reno. If Shinra killed Reno then Tseng would try and kill Shinra and then someone would kill him. It was a vicious cycle of events that would only end with both of them dead. If Rodney kept his threat however, they would both be dead anyways. Tseng decided then and there, looking at Reno's confused and worried face, that he would rather have them both die trying to protect each other from Shinra's bullets than die trying to fight a losing battle. There was no escaping death and Tseng wasn't sure he wanted to try anymore. He pressed one finger to Reno's opened and ready to question lips with a sad smile. "Not here." He moved the finger to stroke across Reno's jaw line tenderly, wishing that the whole world could see just how much he loved him.

Reno found himself trembling at the small gesture despite Tseng's worrisome behavior. Tseng had set the rules about their physical contact and Reno had adhered to them no matter how much pain it caused him at times, but now Tseng was purposefully scraping his toes across those lines, skewing them and blurring them only a few feet away from a steadily whirring security camera that recorded every rebellious moment. Reno hoped to Gaia that no one was manning the screen for that particular camera, his fear mixed with the desire for Tseng to touch him in far more intimate ways. He felt Tseng's hand grab his wrist and gently drag him down the hall and he allowed himself to be led, his mouth shut and his eyes open to the dark haired wonder before him and nothing else. The constant press of death seemed to release its chokehold on them as they traversed the halls, the silent specter that had haunted them seeming overjoyed by their acceptance of his presence and rewarding them with an unchallenged assent to Tseng's quarters.

Tseng let recklessness fall around his shoulders like a warm jacket, his only thoughts for the beautiful man that was, for once, trailing behind him. He noticed with grim satisfaction that no one was around to challenge their brisk walk to his apartment and he smiled as he unlocked it with one hand, the other still holding fast to Reno's wrist. He wasn't afraid that Reno would leave, he was never afraid of that, what he was worried about was losing the contact for even a second and possibly coming to his godsdamned senses. If there was anything he didn't want right at that moment it was a visit from his fearful conscience. He pulled Reno inside his apartment and slammed the door shut behind them, both of them kicking off their shoes before Tseng dragged Reno to the couch and practically threw him into a sitting position. Tseng growled and set himself in Reno's lap, calloused hands pressing slim shoulders into the couch below him. Reno looked up at him with hopeful, lust-darkened eyes and Tseng felt all the blood in his body rush to his groin, his brain refusing to function as he momentarily forgot to breathe. Reno gulped audibly and curled his fingers in the front of Tseng's shirt warily, his hands shaking slightly. "Tseng?"

Tseng decided then and there that he would never get enough of Reno saying his name. He had several things he wanted to say at that moment, but none of the words would make it past his emotion clenched throat as he tried to keep from melting at the wonderfully beautiful expression on Reno's face, blue eyes silently willing him to finish what he started. He took a deep breath and forced words to come out of his mouth, his voice husky and strained. "Reno, I want you. Now. Here. I don't care what the rest of the world thinks about it. I just want you. I'm sick of waiting. If we keep waiting it will never happen. I want you to do the things to me you have wanted to do since we met."

Reno's breath hitched immediately, wonderfully dark fantasies playing out in his mind's eye. He smirked up at Tseng and began running his hands up and down the man's sides, his fingers drinking in the warmth below them. "You want me to do everything tonight? I don't think we have the energy for all that Tsengy." Reno chuckled at Tseng's dark blush and threaded his fingers in dark hair, bending the red face down to his so that he could taste the delicious mouth he had been denied for years. He ran his tongue across Tseng's lower lip before gently probing inside the warm cavern, his entire body shivering with delight when Tseng's tongue twined with his. His free hand began pushing off Tseng's jacket, the zipper in the front difficult to undo with only one hand. The fingers that dug into his shoulders were removed for only a moment while the jacket slid to the floor with a soundless flop, its wearer too concerned with the tongue plundering his mouth to care about the inevitable wrinkles it would acquire. Reno could have sworn he was in heaven as he carefully unknotted Tseng's tie and dropped it to the floor, his every sense filled with the man straddling his ever pressing erection.

Tseng moaned lightly as Reno's tongue left his mouth, the slick muscle moving downwards to join the teeth nipping gently at his neck. He would have asked Reno to bite down harder but he knew that the tooth marks left behind would be hard to explain if he did. Reno's finger's trailed down his chest as his shirt was undone, every inch of newly exposed skin being graced with a tender kiss. His own finger's held tight to Reno's shoulders for support as he fought to hold up his swimming head. Soon his shirt was completely undone and Reno pulled it off his torso, their lips and tongue's embracing again as Tseng swayed forward. They moaned in unison and Tseng curled his hands in Reno's hair, daring the red-head to try and move away. He felt Reno's lips twitch upwards in a self-assured smirk and growled, his hips pressing down wantonly as Reno's fingers traced nonsensical paths up his chest. Reno whimpered and began hastily and haphazardly removing Tseng's belt, the buckle almost seeming like a foreign object to his lust-swamped brain.

Reno felt his eyes roll back in his head and was sure they would stay there permanently if Tseng didn't stop his attempts to ride him through their clothes. He could feel Tseng's fingers fumbling over the knot of his tie and the buttons on his shirt, his jacket already pulled off to join the growing pile of clothes on the floor. It seemed to take an eternity but finally his trembling fingers were able to slip Tseng's frustrating belt out of his pants, the thin leather successfully earning Reno's displeasure as Tseng pulled off his shirt. Reno broke away from the kiss to breathe, his head swimming from lack of oxygen and Tseng's hips snapped down again. Reno growled, his finger's digging into Tseng's buttocks to lift him away from his lap as the squirming body above him threatened to make a mess of his pants.

Tseng gave a rather unmanly yelp as Reno lifted them both into a standing position, strong legs wrapping around slim hips to rub their prominent erections together. He moaned, Reno's trembling steps adding more friction as he was carted off to the bedroom. Tseng gasped as Reno's teeth pinched his nipple, the treatment given to the sensitive bud only adding to the pleasure coursing through his veins. Reno slammed him back on the mattress as Tseng's eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden darkness of the bedroom where night had crept in without their notice. Reno hastily removed his pants and underwear, both pieces of fabric sliding off his legs in one sharp tug. Cool air hit Tseng's bouncing erection only seconds before Reno's warm breath, both sensations sending his body trembling. Tseng heard Reno chuckle darkly as his hand clenched around his rosy member, the straining skin flushed dark with excitement.

Reno moaned at the silky feel of Tseng's aching erection, the succulent flesh only inches away from his mouth before he consciously decided that he wanted to taste it. Another moan flooded his ears as his tongue darted across the tip, Tseng's entire body tensing under his hands as he let the smooth skin slide over his tongue like honey. Reno trailed his tongue across every bit of Tseng's delicious member that he could reach, the taste flooding his mouth and augmenting his own desire. Tseng whimpered and Reno watched his hands clench the sheets tightly as he finally sucked the tip past his lips, his hand moving to cradle swinging sacks gently in his palm. His head bobbed up and down slowly, the rhythm he set making Tseng's already thick flesh grow even harder. When he heard Tseng start to whimper his name like a mantra he picked up the pace, balls growing tight in his hand as he tried to suckle more of the chokingly large member. Just as he managed to swallow Tseng to the hilt a whimpering cry echoed through the room and he felt thick liquid slide down the back of his throat. He quickly pulled the member out, desperate to taste some of the creamy substance on his tongue as it shot out in thick ropes. Reno sighed with happiness as he looked up at Tseng's face while he lapped up the last of the delicious juices, words failing his rubbed raw throat as he tried to tell Tseng just how beautiful he was spread across the sheets with pleasure etched into his face.

Tseng panted harshly as he came down from his high, Reno's kisses to his still twitching member gentle reminders of just who had brought him to completion. Reno shed the last of his clothes before crawling up to cup his face in his hands, blue eyes practically glowing with desire. Tseng felt despair gnaw at his heart as he felt Reno's fingers trail over his face and thread into his hair, the thought of Reno never being able to touch him so intimately after the night was over shoving a lump in his throat that refused to budge as he choked on it. Reno took the few salty tears he shed as ones of bliss and smiled softly as he bent down and kissed them away, his warm lips only making Tseng want to cry harder. Tseng sat up and wrapped his arms around the lover and friend whose time he knew was limited in the world and buried his head in a good as dead shoulder, all they had done and planned to do only fixing their tombstones into more solid ground. Reno nuzzled the top of his head gently and stroked a soothing hand up and down his back, thin fingers brushing doubt and fear to the back of Tseng's mind as he gulped hard to try and dislodge the hard lump in his throat.

Reno breathed deeply to capture the intoxicating scent of the dark hair beneath his nose, his entire body simply feeling alive as he cradled Tseng against his chest. The fingers he trailed over Tseng's trembling skin remembered just how frail he could still be no matter how hard his abused body had been pushed. Reno felt as if he was holding warm glass, the scars crisscrossing Tseng's back feeling like delicate cracks in a glass figurine that had been dropped more often than it needed to be, yet it had managed to stay blessedly intact despite the jarring trips to the ground. He could feel a few salty tears soaking into his skin and for some reason they made him happy, because he had caused them. Emotions were difficult for Tseng and the fact that he was clinging to Reno so desperately now, his slim frame trembling and his limbs twined around Reno's body as if he wished to be enveloped in it made Reno's heart swell to bursting. Reno threaded his fingers into Tseng's hair and nuzzled against his ear, whispering words he hadn't had the chance to repeat in years. "I love you Tseng."

Tseng thought he had his composure back, his body still trembling as he worked to contain the horrifying thoughts that told him he would have to watch as Reno died, images of a bullet torn yet still strikingly beautiful body lying cold on the floor making his head swim as breath became harder and harder to force past the lump in his throat and into his lungs. He had thought he had his composure back; the lump was finally being battled back into the bottle where he stoppered up his emotions. Then Reno whispered into his ear, the gentle words that spoke volumes ripping away any chance at winning the fight with his emotions. The ever swelling lump in his throat burst out in a sob as he choked out the words he wanted to say. "I love you too Reno."

Reno pulled Tseng's wet face away from his chest, the tears leaking from dark eyes now impossible to hide. He placed a gentle kiss on every part of Tseng's face he could, whispering "I love you," after every tender caress his lips lavished upon Tseng's skin. Tseng sniffled quietly, his eyes shut tight as he tried to dry them. Reno chuckled and rubbed his thumbs over twitching eyelids, the happy smile on his face unable to leave. "Open your eyes Tseng."

Tseng took one last deep breath, his sobbing making it hard to force the air into his lungs. He let it out slowly as he opened his eyes, his blurry vision flooded with vibrant red and soft blue darkened to an almost green with emotions Tseng could tell were reserved for him and him alone. Briefly he was allowed to wonder if his own eyes mirrored the unbridled passion in Reno's, but he doubted it as slim fingers traced across his cheek lovingly to wipe away residual moisture from sorrowfully happy tears. If there were such emotions in him as what Reno seemed to radiate then he wasn't sure he could ever express them properly. He knew he felt the same things for Reno as the red-head felt for him, but guilt significantly diminished their intensity as he tried not to think about how beautiful Reno would manage to look spread eagle on President Shinra's carpeted floor, his own blood pooling around him and staining the pristine white carpet a bright red.

Reno cupped Tseng's still damp face, dark eyes looking guilty as they selfishly drank in all the love Reno had to offer. Reno's pulse beat wildly through his veins, his every nerve ending on fire as he drowned in the dark pools he wanted to swim in forever. The dark eyes shimmered with unspeakable love and need as Reno bent down to slip his mouth over delicately puffed lips he had consumed with such fervor before. He couldn't help but moan at the contact, Tseng's whimpering shiver making the instinct to bend the man over and ravish him almost overwhelming. Reno managed to restrain himself, his limbs shaking with the effort to keep his lust at bay as he stroked Tseng's face softly. Tseng pressed into him, well toned arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer as their tongues twined together in a slow and sensual dance that made Reno's aggravatingly insistent erection even more distressed. He did his best to be gentle with his treasure, pressing the abused body against the mattress as if he truly was the glass figurine Reno imagined him to be.

Tseng moaned as Reno's trembling hand ran up his thigh, fingers reverently tracing over each scar. He didn't deserve the gentle attentions being showered upon him and he knew it, but no matter how unworthy he felt of the loving caresses that brought his body to life he had no intentions of reprimanding his selfish need to have Reno love him. He whimpered as Reno's tongue brushed over his open and hungry lips, his tongue darting out to invite Reno's back inside.

Reno accepted the invitation with a moan of his own, his entire body trembling with restrained need as Tseng wordlessly begged to be ravaged, his hips bucking upwards to press their weeping erections together. It was getting harder and harder for Reno to keep his hips from snapping forward to plunge him into Tseng's deliciously warm body as his trembling fingers pulled Tseng's wonderfully smooth buttocks apart to allow one slim digit to dance around the tight ring of pink muscle buried within. Tseng moaned and Reno trailed his lips over the neck Tseng offered him as his body arched off the bed, his finger still tracing and prodding at the warm entrance he wanted to pound into so badly.

When the finger finally slipped inside him Tseng groaned, his hand reaching down to wrap around Reno's cock while the red-head was sufficiently distracted by the velvety feel of his previously untouched insides. Tseng couldn't help but grin at the surprised groan that his hand pulled from Reno's throat. Reno bucked into his hand, his limbs trembling as he tried to restrain himself. Tseng didn't want restraint; he wanted Reno to pound into him as hard as he could until the obvious need in the member that thrust into his hand was sated. He was so fixated on making Reno's resolve break that he didn't realize a second finger had been slipped inside him until the digits curled and stroked a spot inside him that made his entire body spasm in pleasure. Reno chuckled in his ear, the sound adding to the spine tingling pleasure as the fingers curled again. He mewled and arched; his entire body desperate for the release he had been gifted with once already. Tseng gasped and pulled Reno closer, his body shuddering as his prostate was stroked again. "Please Reno!"

Reno groaned as Tseng whimpered and begged in his ear, the desperate pleas making his own need grow. At Tseng's insistence he settled himself in front of the entrance he had spent so long stretching and preparing, hoping that he had done enough to prevent the pain he had heard so much about. Tseng bucked upwards and Reno was suddenly engulfed by the velvety skin he had dreamed of. He buried himself to the hilt, his desire feeding on Tseng's whimpering groan. Reno panted harshly as he waited for Tseng to adjust to the intense stretching his insides were undergoing. Shaking fingers brushed black hair out of a sweaty awe-filled face and Reno layered more kisses over the flushed skin cupped between his hands.

Tseng returned the gesture, his fingers twining through red-hair as his lips brushed over salty sweet skin before finally closing over tender lips. Tseng pushed his hips upwards as he resumed whispering quiet pleas against the lips he craved. Reno groaned and gave in to the desire flooding his system, his hips snapping back and forth and plunging him in and out of Tseng's moist cavern. Tseng groaned loudly and wrapped his legs around Reno's waist, his hips bucking upwards and driving Reno deeper into him. His prostate was stroked with each thrust and the room echoed with the sounds of slapping flesh, unhindered passionate moans, and frantic breathing. Tseng's entire mind was filled with only Reno and how wonderfully intoxicating his every movement was. Reno's loving blue eyes danced in and out of his vision with every harsh thrust, the sweetness radiating from the deep blue orbs making him want to cry as his orgasm edged closer. Reno began to move faster and Tseng realized that even though his mind was completely blank his mouth was issuing whimpering demands for more of anything Reno could give him.

Reno was operating purely on pleasure-filled instinct, his every movement orchestrated by the desires of his body. His hips snapped forward of their own accord, only changing pace when Tseng begged them to. His fingers danced over heated flesh as his mouth roamed the parts of Tseng's body it could reach without interrupting the constant motion going on below. His sight was speckled with white as his climax drew nearer, the pleasure coiling in his stomach driving thought from his brain as he guided them both to completion, his fingers wrapping around Tseng's member to milk out the delicious seed he had feasted on earlier. When the creamy substance splashed through his fingers and over his chest he felt his entire body shudder with his release, the white spots in his eyes growing to blur his vision completely as he groaned Tseng's name.

When Reno's vision cleared he found himself panting and shaking on top of Tseng, his sated member still embedded inside the body he was clinging to desperately. Tseng had his fingers laced in his hair and was panting just as harshly as he was. Reno couldn't help but give a small chuckle as he realized that he had blacked out from the sensory overload, the sound raw and breathy as it tumbled gracelessly from his lips. He picked himself up off of Tseng's warm body and removed his slick member from it, his own fluids leaking out to christen the sheets. His tired body rolled to Tseng's side and lay still, panting harshly as Tseng wrapped trembling limbs around him. Reno wrapped his arms around Tseng with a quiet murmur. "Tseng, that was amazing."

Tseng smiled and planted a soft kiss on Reno's chest, the waves of pleasure he was riding on beginning to die down. His eyelids began to flutter as exhaustion hit him like a brick, his entire body suddenly feeling incredibly heavy. "I love you Reno."

Reno smiled as he watched the ceiling draw in and out of focus above him. "I love you too Tseng."

Tseng nuzzled his head into the crook of Reno's shoulder with a happy sigh. He was easily falling asleep nestled in the comforting arms of his dedicated lover, the thoughts that normally chased him into sleep lying dormant as if to allow him the time to cherish the last night he had with the only person he had ever loved.

* * *

When Tseng woke Reno was still holding him, his arms just as warm and reassuring as they had been when he fell asleep. Tseng smiled and simply let his body rest against his living pillow, the alarm clock that normally woke him sleeping silently on the nightstand. He could read the red numbers that glared at him from over Reno's shoulder, their glow letting him know just how upset the alarm clock was that he had woken up without its help. Tseng was content to lie exactly where he was even as his bladder protested loudly against the notion of staying beside Reno. He ignored the ever insistent demands of his bladder for as long as he could, wishing that he could stay wrapped in soft, warm arms forever. Finally he could wait no longer and extricated himself from Reno's side with a sad sigh, his somewhat sore body missing the warmth lost at the motion. He walked stiff legged to the bathroom adjacent his bedroom, the relief he sought quickly found.

Reno woke up confused and somewhat scared, the warm spot beside him quickly growing cold as his tired hands searched it over curiously. He sat up and scanned the room with an almost frantic air when the woosh of water running from a faucet assaulted his eardrums. His sigh of relief mingled with the noise as he stumbled to his feet and staggered sleepily to Tseng's bathroom. Tseng had left the door open and Reno couldn't help but giggle as he scanned Tseng's body. His rear was completely coated in dried cum and his chest had a similar coating of the same substance. Reno noticed that he really wasn't much better off, his own chest a sticky mess that crumbled under his hand. He smirked as Tseng gave him an odd look, confusion mixing with happiness and bashfulness as he realized that he was being examined. "Mornin' Tsengy-poo."

"Good morning Reno." Tseng blushed as Reno's eyes roamed his body without restraint, the amusement dancing in the somewhat sleepy blue orbs contagious. He chuckled and shook his head in confusion. "What?"

Reno grinned and stalked to the counter that Tseng leaned on. He pressed him against it and grabbed Tseng's ass in one hand, his other trailing over the cum spattered chest in front of him. "You are a complete mess this mornin'."

Tseng looked down and realized for the first time that morning that he was indeed a complete mess. His body was coated in dried sweat and semen and his hair stuck out at odd angles that defied gravity. He blushed even deeper and poked an accusatory finger into Reno's equally messy chest. "It's your fault I'm a total mess!"

Reno chuckled and nuzzled his face into Tseng's neck, inhaling deeply as he planted an apologetic kiss there. "Wanna get cleaned up?"

Tseng gave a small nod and let Reno drag him into the tub. Cold water sprayed down on his back as Reno turned the shower on without waiting for the water to warm up and he gave a surprised gasp at the sudden discomfort. Reno shivered against him and quickly adjusted the water temperature, the warm spray feeling divine as it chased away the chills that the cold water had left behind.

Reno had to admit that he probably should have warmed up the water before turning on the shower but the need to see Tseng dripping and wet in his arms was far more insistent than the need for warmth. He squirted some soap into his hand before setting another kiss on Tseng's neck. He ran his soapy hand over Tseng's chest and smiled as Tseng did the same to his back. There was very little that was sexual about their shower, every now and again they shared a kiss as they scrubbed each other clean beneath the soothing warm spray of water that tumbled over their bodies and cleared away the evidence of the night before. Reno was a little sad to see his seed run off of Tseng's body in a soapy river, but he knew he could always replace it with a fresh coat of the substance later. He kissed along Tseng's neck as he ran his fingers through soaped up locks of dark hair. "Do we have to show up today Tsengy?"

Tseng sighed heavily and finished washing his hair on his own, leaving Reno's hands free to do as they please. "You know the answer to that question Reno."

Reno pouted and ran his hands over Tseng's chest tenderly, wiping away excess soap suds. They had this conversation every time Reno spent the night, though they usually had it in the living room or the kitchen instead of the shower. "I hoped the answer would be different today."

Tseng turned around and wrapped his arms around Reno's neck, pressing a gentle kiss onto pouting lips. "Unfortunately the answer is going to be the same as it was the last time you asked. The same thing goes for all the other questions you ask every morning. Yes, we have to go to work today. No, you can't pretend you're sick and stay home. Yes, I will make you tea since you like it better than coffee. No, you can't have potato chips for breakfast. Yes, you have to wear the tie its company protocol."

Reno's pout deepened and he gave a dejected sigh. "I knew you'd say that."

Tseng gave Reno another kiss and turned off the water. Reno held him in place as he tried to step out of the tub to dry off and Tseng raised an eyebrow at the odd behavior. A playful smirk crossed Reno's lips and he pressed their dripping bodies together. "Would the answers change if I made it worth your while?"

Tseng fought the urge to whimper at the contact, Reno's slick and very erect member pressing against his own. "You know why we have to go to work Reno. What happens if we don't show up?"

Reno ran his hands over Tseng's body, carefully watching the dark haired man's face for any signs of weakness when he passed over sensitive skin. "People get jealous."

Tseng gave a nervous chuckle as Reno's fingers glided over his skin. "And what happens when people get jealous?"

"They come shoot us." Reno's playful tone didn't change as he leaned forward to run his tongue across Tseng's jaw. "Ya know Tsengy, I don't think I'd mind getting shot if it means I get more time with you."

Tseng gave a shudder of a very different kind as he remembered what was in store for them if Rodney had his way. He pulled away from Reno's warm embrace and stepped out of the tub. "Don't say things like that."

Reno frowned and followed Tseng out of the tub, grabbing a towel so that he could dry off. "It's true."

Tseng felt a few tears prick at his eyes and he whipped around to give Reno a piercing glare. "No it's not. You don't want to be shot Reno."

Reno blinked hard at the angry glare he was getting, realizing that he had stepped on a very delicate nerve. They dried off in silence, the cloak of death that had removed itself from their shoulders for a few brief hours of paradise settling back over them. Reno couldn't understand why Tseng had gotten so emotional over his words, but he felt it was something he needed to address. He watched Tseng make coffee while he cradled a cup of tea in his hands, somewhat confused by the sudden change in atmosphere. "Tseng?"

"Yes?" Tseng was still trying to block out the dreadful mental images of a dead Reno.

"I meant it you know." Reno watched Tseng's back stiffen as the man turned around to reprimand him. He held his hand up to stop the angry words he knew would flow out of Tseng's mouth, determined to say what was on his mind. "I won't ever throw away my life on something that it doesn't need to be wasted on, but I will willingly die if it means giving you even a few more moments to live."

Tseng felt a few tears prick at his eyes and he hastily wiped them away. "Reno, I don't want you to die trying to protect me."

"Whether you like it or not I'm going to do everything in my power to do just that." Reno cupped Tseng's hands in his own, gripping the shaking fingers tightly. "I love you Tseng and there's not a damn thing anyone can do to keep me from trying to protect you." Reno bent forward and placed a tender kiss on Tseng's lips as if he were sealing a pact with the man by doing so.

Tseng felt guilt tear at his insides as he kissed Reno back, the knowledge that neither of them would be able to escape death that night weighing down his shoulders. He pulled away and gave Reno a reassuring smile. "I love you Reno but if we have anymore heartwarming moments this morning I might go to work with a smile. Then everyone would know something was going on."

Reno laughed and happily finished his tea. He watched as Tseng sipped at his coffee, glad that the momentary awkwardness that had passed between them was gone. They spent the rest of their time before they had to report to Veld talking about small things of little or no consequence. When they reported to Veld with the other Turks Reno was fairly sure he could see a ghost of a smile still playing at the corners of Tseng's lips, but he wasn't sure if he saw it there because he wanted to see it or because it was actually there. He left for his routine patrol with the others positively beaming with happiness because, for once, he would be going on patrol without Rodney hanging around to shoot him dirty looks.

* * *

Tseng followed Rodney to the testing area in silence, his back straight and his hands clasped together behind him. He made no mention of what was supposed to happen the night before or what had happened instead, waiting for Rodney to break the silence with the hopes that the man had forgotten. He had no such luck, however, as Rodney turned around and glared at him with red eyes just before they reached the testing area. His voice was laced with annoyance and anger as he practically spat his words at Tseng. "You didn't show."

"No, I did not." Tseng kept his own voice even as he watched Rodney's hands ball into angry fists. "I suggest you don't attack me again, it would be very difficult to take your test with a broken hand."

Rodney's face turned a very unattractive shade of red, his anger difficult to contain now that he had the cause of it standing in front of him. "You know what I'm going to do, right?"

"I do." Tseng nodded, his face still expressionless as he evenly met Rodney's bloodshot gaze.

"And you're okay with watching Reno get shot?" Rodney sneered, his voice full of scorn. He didn't wait for Tseng to answer, the lack of emotion showing on Tseng's face giving him even more reason to be angry as he stalked to the testing room, his body trembling with suppressed rage.

Tseng inhaled deeply and took his place outside the door, his body surprisingly relaxed now that he had sealed his fate.

* * *

Reno was practically bouncing with excitement and nerves as he waited to be called into President Shinra's office, his eyes darting around the room to land on each face that looked between him and Rodney with worry. He stood near Tseng but far enough away for it to be considered a friendly distance. He hated waiting and it showed in his face, the impatience etched there alongside his happy smile. They had had an amazing patrol today and some of the Turks had complimented him for his good work, something they usually refrained from doing since he had a big enough ego as it was. When the door to the office finally opened and he, Rodney, and Tseng were beckoned inside he nearly sprinted through the doorway. He only refrained from running straight into the office by making sure he matched each of his steps evenly with Tseng's, the other man's footfalls steady and sure as they made to stand in front of President Shinra's desk.

Tseng's mind was surprisingly clear as he watched Rodney shoot scathing glances at him while they entered the office, his lips twitching upwards in a smirk as if he was proud of getting both Tseng and Reno killed. Even though the gunshots hadn't rang out yet, Tseng knew he was a dead man. Tseng was required to be in the office while the decision was made since he had trained the two, his handiwork evident in their success or failure. He watched as President Shinra steepled his fingers and looked them all over, his eyes resting on Reno for a few moments longer than Rodney. When he spoke Tseng felt the desire to stand in front of Reno to keep him from hearing the echoing ring of his death sentence, but he remained where he stood.

President Shinra's voice rang loud and clear throughout his large office, the sound seeming to drain any emotion it came into contact with. "As you both know I can only hire one of you. Since your test scores were nearly the same, I need to hear from each of you why I shouldn't hire the other. I don't care about why I should hire you; I've already got the test scores and reports from other Turks telling me why I should hire you. I need to know why your fellow trainee isn't worthy of holding a position within this company." President Shinra brushed a hand out, inviting the two to start talking at their leisure.

Tseng shivered as Rodney stepped forward, an evil smile on his lips as he gave Tseng a piercing glare. He knew that this was what would happen, he knew that Shinra would ask for them to turn in their fellow comrades and say anything they could think of to get the other person fired. When he had been asked to name wrongdoings his comrades had made he had done so without even caring about what happened to them. His only thought had been that if he was hired he would get the chance to see Reno. He didn't know what Rodney had to look forward to if he was hired, but whatever it was it had driven Rodney to sign the death sentence of two people. He couldn't manage to think any less of Rodney for doing so; he had done the exact same thing. "Sir, Reno is unfit to be a Turk as his loyalty lies with Tseng and not the company."

Reno blinked in surprise as Shinra asked them to discredit each other, the speed with which Rodney rose to the plate making his heart sink. He could feel President Shinra's eyes on him as he questioned Rodney about his statement. "What makes you think he is loyal to Tseng?"

Rodney gave Tseng one last glare before letting the words that would kill him drop from his lips like poison. "They're _lovers_ sir."

Shinra sighed and rummaged in his desk for a moment, that moment giving Tseng just enough time to stand in front of Reno before the gun appeared in Shinra's hand. Tseng watched the bullet race towards him with a small sigh as he felt Reno's hands on his back try to push him out of the way. He stood his ground and concentrated on the feel of those hands as the bullet collided with his forehead. Tseng didn't even feel the bullet pierce his skin as it crashed through his skull and ripped through his brain, his final thoughts the memory of Reno's soft lips pressing against his own.

Reno watched Tseng's jarring trip to the ground in horror, blood pouring from the large hole in his forehead as he seemed to shatter before his eyes. Reno screamed and dived to the ground after him, the bullet that ripped through his side passed through him without being felt. He held Tseng's face between his hands, his voice shaking as he tried to make the glassy dark orbs drown him again as he watched Tseng's blood pool onto the ground and stain the pristine white carpet a bright red. Another bullet pierced his side but he ignored it, his only thoughts for the beautiful creature lying broken in his hands, bits of skull scattered on the floor like broken glass. Reno wiped blood from the face that he had kissed so tenderly that morning, tears falling from his eyes to try and rinse clean the crimson stains that marred perfect features. He begged Tseng to wake up, to give him just one more kiss, but the unfeeling body in his hands couldn't answer his despairing cries. He felt cold metal press against the back of his head but he didn't care, the barrel of the gun unimportant compared to the shattered face Reno had tried so hard to keep intact for years. He didn't register the fact that he was milliseconds away from dying as he let out one last scream for Tseng, unable to finish the sorrow-filled sound as a bullet ripped through his brain and threw him on top of his beloved Tseng who waited for him just outside the realm of the living with a warm smile and comforting arms.

* * *

Rodney stood in shock as Reno's final scream echoed through the room, the sound mingling with the gentle drip of blood onto the carpeted floor. Shinra wiped his gun carefully, stowing it inside his jacket before nudging one of the still warm corpses with his foot. When he was sure that the two were dead he turned to Rodney, a sickeningly kind smile plastered to his face. He reached out a hand that had taken the lives of countless Turks and Rodney numbly reached out to accept it, his mouth still agape with shock as he tried to comprehend the fact that he was responsible for the deaths of two people. President Shinra shook his hand and a new sound sliced through Rodney's mind like a knife as it echoed over the steady dripping coming from the corpses at his side. "Welcome to Shinra."

**

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Author's Note: I told you you'd hate me for how this ended.

**Thankyou to anyone and everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, alerted this story or all of the above. I appreciate all the support everyone has given me and I am well prepared for the many shovel whacks and other forms of abuse you will undoubtedly want to give me for such a horribly depressing ending. **

**Sorry to make you sad;**

**Love Vietta**


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